Philippine Navy Deploys Two Warships to “Escort” Chinese Frigate

The Philippine Navy said today that it deployed two warships to monitor and escort a Chinese naval frigate found operating inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in waters off western Luzon.

The Navy said in a statement that the incident began on December 17 after members of the local maritime community reported a foreign warship about 41 nautical miles southwest of Capones Island, Zambales. The vessel was identified as a People’s Liberation Army Navy Jiangkai II (Type 054A) frigate with bow number 569.

“Upon receipt of the report, offshore patrol vessel ‘BRP Emilio Jacinto,’ operating under Naval Task Force 11 of NLNC, was immediately deployed to conduct maritime patrol operations and validate the information,” the Navy said.

Manila dispatched guided missile frigate BRP Diego Silang after the OPV confirmed Chinese frigate’s intrusion.

The PN said the two Philippine warships maintained a professional posture while asserting sovereign rights. It added that repeated radio challenges were issued to the Chinese vessel, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and pointing out that the warship was loitering in the Philippine EEZ without clarifying its purpose. “The foreign warship is currently being escorted in a controlled and non-escalatory manner,” the service added.

The Navy said the deployment followed the Northern Luzon Naval Command (NLNC)’s mandate to protect maritime interests, strengthen maritime domain awareness, and uphold Philippine sovereignty.

"Continuous monitoring and coordination were undertaken to ensure the safety of maritime traffic and coastal communities within the area of operations," it added. The PN also said that such actions are part of routine maritime security operations aimed at protecting national security and territorial integrity.