Philippines conducts marine patrols to check presence of Chinese research ships

The Philippines on Monday deployed a coastguard vessel to carry out a two-week patrol mission in waters north and east of the country to intensify its maritime presence and check on Chinese research vessels that were spotted in Benham Rise.
Benham Rise, which sits off the Philippines’ east coast, is a vast area declared by the United Nations in 2012 as part of the country’s continental shelf. Manila in 2017 renamed it “Philippine Rise.”
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said in a statement its vessel will patrol the waters to conduct maritime domain awareness, intensify its presence in the northern Luzon island and monitor local fishermen.
“We will also check the reported Chinese research vessels in Benham Rise,” PCG spokesperson Armando Balilo said.
Benham Rise, said to be rich in biodiversity and fish stocks, is not in the South China Sea and Beijing has made no claim to it.