CHINA’S deployment of research and survey vessels in the disputed West Philippine Sea is at the core of its maritime gray zone strategy, allowing Beijing to assert control, gather intelligence, and expand its presence while avoiding direct confrontation, an international monitoring team reported.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy’s BRP Andres Bonifacio issue radio challenge to a Chinese warship spotted off the Panatag Islands.
Operating under the guise of scientific missions, SeaLight said these dual-use vessels—often state-owned or affiliated with the military—conduct oceanographic surveys and resource mapping that serve both civilian and military purposes.
“These missions blur the line between legitimate scientific research and covert intelligence gathering or strategic signaling, allowing China to expand its maritime presence while maintaining plausible deniability.” The SeaLight report stated.
It asserted that Beijing tactics include “going dark” by disabling AIS tracking, symbolic pathing (such as drawing Chinese characters on navigation routes), and operating under escort by coast guard or maritime militia vessels to deter interference.
According to the group, these operations offer legal and diplomatic cover, exploiting gray areas in international law and using their civilian appearance to minimize escalation risk. The goal is incremental advantage: repeated missions normalize Chinese presence in disputed areas like the South China Sea, East China Sea, and even the Indian Ocean—gradually reshaping perceptions of legitimacy and control.
SeaLight was reputedly started by a team of volunteers at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, which uses entrepreneurial methods to solve difficult defense and security challenges.
Recent cases involved highly visible vessels presence include the Haiyang Dizhi 8’s prolonged survey in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, Dong Fang Hong 3 and Xiang Yang Hong 01’s mapping of the Ninety East Ridge, and suspicious maneuvers near the Senkaku Islands and New Zealand’s coast.
Meanwhile, China actively harasses neighboring states’ legitimate survey missions, as seen in its aggressive shadowing of Indonesia’s operations in the North Natuna Sea in 2024.
Together, these actions demonstrate China’s calculated use of civilian research platforms as instruments of state power—advancing its strategic aims while keeping regional rivals off balance and avoiding overt conflict.
"Beyond resources and territory, these operations are fundamentally about intelligence. Scientific surveys double as covert intelligence collection, mapping the seafloor, monitoring foreign military and commercial activity, and enhancing China’s operational awareness for both present and future contingencies. The combination of civilian cover and military escort is designed to deter interference by regional actors, signaling China’s resolve while complicating any direct response—since confronting a nominally civilian vessel risks escalation and international criticism." Sealight explained.
A Ma’anshan Jiangkai II-class frigate of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, bearing bow number 525, was observed during a maritime patrol conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines near Panatag Island in the WPS on Friday, June 6.
The PLA Navy ship was detected approximately 4.6 nautical miles from the Philippine Navy's BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17) at around 7:40 a.m.
In response, PS17 issued a radio challenge to the Chinese warship. The vessel replied after a delay of 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, the same Philippine Navy vessel established direct communications with troops stationed at Parola Islands to synchronize updates, assess operational conditions, and express support for the troops deployed in this remote post on June 4.
The activity served to maintain clear situational awareness and ensure coordinated maritime security efforts in the area.
The military also visit Likas Island, one of the Philippine-occupied features in WPS on June 5, as part of its continuing efforts to assert sovereign rights and demonstrate enduring presence in the area.
The visit to Likas Island featured a ship-to-shore operation, direct engagements with deployed personnel, and interviews with troops on the ground. Beyond their operational function, these activities served to reaffirm the AFP’s support for its front-line units, boost troop morale, and demonstrate the Philippines’ sustained and visible presence in the area.
Likas is one of the Philippine-occupied features in the West Philippine Sea and plays a key role in maintaining maritime situational awareness and supporting national defense objectives in the region.
The patrol is one of a series of maritime operations being conducted from June 4 to June 7 to reinforce the country’s sovereign rights over its maritime domains in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).
These operations are part of the AFP’s commitment to maintaining a credible defense posture in the region, according to AFP.
The AFP’s sustained presence in the KIG reaffirms the Philippines’ commitment to peace, regional stability, and a rules-based international order, assuring Filipinos of its continued vigilance in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests, the AFP said.
