MANILA (Reuters): The Philippine Coast Guard accused a Chinese research vessel on Monday of spoofing its location while loitering off Batanes, the country's northernmost island group near Taiwan, saying its movements were consistent with unauthorised marine scientific research.
The coast guard said in a statement that a seabed survey vessel concealing its whereabouts while holding its position in waters between the Philippines and Taiwan raised "serious concerns about the security of the country's undersea communications infrastructure and the potential military use of any data collected."
* PCG said the Chinese-flagged research vessel JIA HAI KE 7 was detected about 38 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat in Batanes. Itbayat lies about 160 km from Taiwan.
* The Coast Guard said the vessel ignored repeated radio challenges to identify its intentions and cease any unauthorised activity.
* PCG said the vessel was loitering and holding its position rather than proceeding on a steady course that would have indicated innocent passage.
* The PCG said the vessel appeared to be broadcasting false AIS positions, with tracking data showing it moving from the coast of Xiamen in southeast China to a location off Papua New Guinea on the same day. It later appeared northwest of Itbayat, a timeframe that would have been physically impossible, the agency said.
* The vessel's behaviour was consistent with marine scientific research activity rather than transit, PCG added.
* The vessel is a 2,000-ton, 70-metre survey ship designed to conduct marine geological surveys and capable of precise station-keeping, according to open-source information cited by the coast guard.
* Waters off Batanes and the Luzon Strait host key submarine cable corridors linking the Philippines with Northeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific.
* PCG said it would continue monitoring the vessel.
* The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
* Chinese scholars at Jinan University have previously argued that Batanes belonged to China.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway) -- Reuters
