Two Chinese government vessels, a coast guard ship and a research vessel, were recently sighted near the coast of Luzon, escalating apprehensions about China's expanding presence in Philippine maritime zones.

According to SeaLight, a maritime monitoring organization led by U.S. security analyst Ray Powell, the China Coast Guard ship CCG 5303 was tracked unusually close to the Philippine mainland on Saturday. This vessel, measuring 134 meters, is not a standard law enforcement ship but is built on a naval frigate hull and armed with a 76mm gun. Powell described it as a "wolf in a white hull," highlighting China's tactic of integrating military-grade assets within its coast guard fleet.

Powell characterized the ship's activity as "intrusive patrolling," a method China reportedly employs regularly throughout the region to exert pressure and incrementally normalize its presence within areas internationally recognized as belonging to other coastal states, including the Philippines, under the 2016 Hague arbitral ruling.

The reported patrol took place inside the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where the country holds sovereign rights to natural resources. This move comes amid China's continuing disregard for international legal decisions, as it asserts expansive claims through its controversial "nine-dash line," overlapping multiple Southeast Asian nations' maritime entitlements.

In a related development, Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered an aerial reconnaissance following the return of another Chinese government vessel, the research ship Xiang Yang Hong 05. The vessel was detected approximately 37 nautical miles off Sta. Ana, Cagayan, and later spotted 14.92 nautical miles from Babuyan Island. Despite radio challenges from the Philippine Coast Guard, the vessel did not respond.

Records indicate that the Xiang Yang Hong 05 entered the Philippine EEZ on June 7 after departing from Guangdong, China. It re-entered the zone on July 31 after completing nearly three weeks of marine scientific research near Guam. This ship, a converted cargo vessel, represents China's newer generation of research vessels.

Authorities are closely monitoring its presence due to concerns about its dual-use capabilities, supporting both civilian marine research and potential military operations linked to the People's Liberation Army Navy. Historically, ships from the Xiang Yang Hong series have been associated with naval reconnaissance missions and missile testing since the Cold War.

As of Sunday morning, the research vessel was tracked at a distance of 86 nautical miles from Calayan Island, remaining inside the Philippine EEZ.