There is no end to China’s aggressive behavior toward this friendly nation. The Jiageng, said to be one of China’s top research ships, spent a week within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, according to Ryan Martinson, an assistant professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute of the US Naval War College, in a post on Sept. 17. The Inquirer reported that this was confirmed by the Philippine military, which said the Jiageng, 77.7 meters long and capable of carrying more than 50 people, was monitored on Sept. 18 a mere 52 nautical miles off the coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte. The ship was observed to be nearly stationary at a speed of 1 knot and doing “stop-and-go’’ and U-turn activities consistent with research and survey operations.

Resist China's aggression. (2020, September 23). Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.