West PH Sea: China 'monster' ship came much nearer to El Nido, Palawan -- PCG | INQToday
China Coast Guard's biggest vessel, dubbed as the Monster Ship, passed much closer to El Nido, Palawan than previously believed, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tariella says China Coast Guards 5901 maintained a close distance of 34 nautical miles from El Nido's coastline during its passage on Tuesday, June 25. W Philippine Sea Monetary Powell initially estimated that the Chinese ship was spotted 40 nautical miles away. Nevertheless, the giant ship was still outside the coastal town's 12 nautical mile territorial sea, a red line that once crossed by Beijing could be seen as a direct threat to Manila's sovereignty. As of 8:00 AM on Thursday, June 27th, the Chinese ship was spotted back in the vicinity waters of Hainan Island, about 46 nautical miles southeast of Sanya, Hainan.