Francis Tuschek, Staff Writer
A Chinese Coast Guard vessel, dubbed the “monster ship” for its size and recognized as one of the world’s two largest law-enforcement ships, has been dispatched to a contested reef in the South China Sea, located within the maritime territory of the Philippines, a U.S. security ally.
WSN has reached out to both the Chinese and Philippine military for comments, but there has been no response from either side thus far.
Significance China asserts claims over nearly all maritime features in the South China Sea, leading to disputes with other regional countries, including the Scarborough Shoal, where the 5901 is currently stationed. The location is referred to as Huangyan Island in China and Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines.
The reef, a vital fishing area within the Philippines’ 230-mile economic zone, was taken over by China in 2012 after a standoff between the two nations. It lies 140 miles west of the Philippines’ Luzon Island and 700 miles from China’s closest province, Hainan.
Key Details The Chinese vessel, weighing 12,000 tons and measuring 541 feet in length, is armed and has the hull number 5901. It, along with its sister ship, the 2901, possesses superior endurance, collision resistance, seaworthiness, and speed compared to other countries’ coast guard vessels.
According to Ray Powell, director of the maritime monitoring group Sealight affiliated with Stanford University, the 5901 arrived at Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday, joining three other Chinese Coast Guard ships and at least seven Chinese maritime militia vessels.
The Pentagon has stated that China’s Coast Guard boasts the largest maritime law enforcement fleet globally, with over 150 vessels exceeding 1,000 tons, while the maritime militia aids the navy and Coast Guard in asserting maritime claims.
Throughout 2023, China has utilized its navy, Coast Guard, maritime militia, and civilian ships to bolster its illegal claims in the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal, as noted in the Pentagon’s military power report released in December 2024.
This is not the first deployment of the 5901 to the disputed waters; it previously encountered a Canadian warship in August during patrols near China’s artificial islands.
The recent deployment of the Chinese “monster” ship follows the Chinese military’s naval and air forces conducting “combat readiness patrols” at Scarborough Shoal after “law enforcement patrols” were carried out by the Coast Guard in the same area.
Reactions Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, stated at a press conference on December 26, 2024, that the maritime disputes between China and the Philippines are not influenced by the size of the nations involved but by the facts of the matter.
In response, Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, remarked on X (formerly Twitter) that the Philippines is not positioning itself as a victim in the West Philippine Sea; rather, it is China that is imposing on Southeast Asian nations in the region.
Future Outlook China is expected to maintain and possibly escalate its presence in the South China Sea by rotating ships from its navy, Coast Guard, and maritime militia. It remains uncertain whether the U.S. will deploy a naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier to patrol these contested waters.
