Seized dredging ship not Chinese — embassy

A DREDGING ship that was seized by Philippine authorities for illegal entry is not registered in China, the Chinese Embassy said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Initial investigation on the identity of MV Zhonhai 68 by relevant Chinese authorities has shown that the ship is not registered in China and not a Chinese ship,” it said. The probe also found that there were no Chinese nationals aboard the ship, it added.

The embassy said the vessel is under the flag of Sierra Leone.

The Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Customs last month found the dredger-type ship off the coast of Orlon Point in Bataan province in northern Philippines.

Authorities said the vessel’s automatic identification system transponder had been turned off, while two Cambodian crewmen failed to present proper documents.

“The Embassy hopes that any responsible remarks and reports should be based on facts, rather than speculation and misinformation,” the embassy said.

“China is ready to render further assistance to Philippine authorities concerned in its investigation, should there be such a need,” it added.

A group of congressmen earlier filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives committee on environment to probe the incident. They were worried that there might be more undetected dredging activities in the South China Sea.

China has denied reports that one of its scientific survey ships had illegally entered Philippine waters. It said the ship was only seeking humanitarian assistance due to bad weather.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. in a social media post said the research vessel had indeed sought shelter in the country. — Charmaine A. Tadalan