Maritime Security | South China Sea
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Joined July 2009
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Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Clear examples of coordinated activities between Chinese research vessels, Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia.
On October 18, we detected 16 Chinese vessels around #Taiwan, including 6 #CCG, 6 survey vessels, & 4 believed to be #maritimemilitia vessels. These activities represented a clear pattern of expansionism & provocation across the wider #IndoPacific.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
興味深いことに、日韓台比豪の国防予算を対GDP比3.5%に引き上げると、中国の国防費とおおよそ同等となる。軍事費の均衡は１つの指標に過ぎないが、3.5%という目安にまるで根拠がないわけではない、とは言えそうだ。
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
I am pleased to share my first publication with the @wps_ph Dispatch ahead of the upcoming Manila Dialogue: "China’s Strategic Anxiety: The Paradox of an Insecure Superpower."
Many thanks to Dr. @JeffreyOrdaniel for his kind invitation and trust.
dispatch.wps-ph.org/chinas-s…
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Oh, that clarifies things.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
How can Europe help the Philippines in the South China Sea? First, we should stop denying that China is a threat to Europe's interests and values. Second, stop turning a blind eye to China's aggression in the South China Sea. When international law is ignored at sea, the precedent will not stay in Asia.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Neither the AFP nor PCG asked for permission from China to conduct medical evacuation of the Philippine Navy personnel from the BRP Sierra Madre.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
China's statement confirms every fact the PCG reported. It admits that a Chinese research vessel was operating near Hubo Reef, Escoda Shoal, and Katimugan Bank, with PLA Navy and China Coast Guard vessels nearby. The only dispute is over who has the right to be there, and international law has already settled that.
On Point I: "Nansha Qundao" and "sovereign rights over the relevant waters"
1. China cannot enclose the Spratlys as a single unit. The 2016 Arbitral Award rejected archipelagic or straight baselines around them as a whole (Award, paras. 573–576), and ruled that none of their high-tide features generates an EEZ or continental shelf (Award, paras. 625–626).
2. Hubo Reef, Escoda Shoal, and Katimugan Bank are not territory. Low-tide elevations cannot be appropriated and do not form part of any State's land territory (Award, para. 309), and fully submerged features cannot generate maritime entitlements (Award, para. 693). With no Spratly feature generating an EEZ (Award, para. 626), these waters fall within the Philippine EEZ and continental shelf.
3. China's claimed "sovereign rights and jurisdiction" rests on the same nine-dash-line claim the Tribunal ruled to be contrary to UNCLOS and without lawful effect to the extent it exceeds China's entitlements under the Convention (Award, paras. 278 and 1203.B(2)).
4. Chinese domestic law does not reach into another state's EEZ. A state cannot invoke its internal law to escape a treaty obligation (VCLT Art. 27), and China ratified UNCLOS in 1996.
5. Warships positioned around a research vessel are not "routine patrols." They are escorts. Lawful research does not need naval protection.
On Point II: "The PCG interfered with normal operations"
1. Marine scientific research in the EEZ requires coastal state consent (UNCLOS Art. 246(2)). The researching state must notify six months in advance (Art. 248), and the coastal state may stop research done without consent (Art. 253).
2. The DFA confirmed that China made no request for consent. The vessel declared diving operations, went dark on AIS, and ignored repeated PCG radio challenges.
3. The Philippine position is not unilateral. It rests on UNCLOS and on an award that "shall be complied with by the parties to the dispute" (UNCLOS Art. 296; Annex VII, Art. 11; Award, para. 1200).
On Point III: "Public goods" and "persecution delusion"
1. UNCLOS says coastal states shall normally grant consent for peaceful research (Art. 246(3)). If the research is aboveboard, China should simply file the request.
2. TAN SUO YI HAO is the mothership for China's deep-sea submersibles. Seabed data has resource and military value, which is why UNCLOS gives the coastal state control over it. Data taken without consent is not a gift to the Philippines.
3. A delusion does not appear on AIS, in Dark Vessel Detection, or in aerial photographs. China's statement did not dispute a single coordinate the PCG published.
4. Name-calling is what a government resorts to when it cannot answer the facts.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Congratulations to the 2026 Cohort of the South China Sea Studies Symposium!
This year, its inaugural cohort brings together 19 scholars and researchers selected from 338 submissions representing 46 countries.
We look forward to seeing the cohort in Manila on November 15! 👋
[ANNOUNCING: 2026 COHORT | SCS STUDIES SYMPOSIUM]
To provide stronger intellectual grounding for the policy discussions at The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea, and to help bridge the gap between academic research and policymaking, the South China Sea Studies Symposium was launched as the academic component of the Dialogue.
This year, its inaugural cohort brings together 19 scholars and researchers selected from 338 submissions representing 46 countries.
Their research covers a wide range of issues shaping the South China Sea: maritime coercion and gray-zone activities, international law, economic security, subsea cables and critical infrastructure, information operations, minilateral cooperation, and the roles of regional and extra-regional actors.
On November 15, 2026, members of the inaugural cohort will present their draft papers and receive feedback from fellow scholars and experts before developing them into final papers for publication.
South China Sea Studies Symposium
📅 November 15, 2026
⏰ 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
📍 Gallio Events Hall, next to Hyatt Regency City of Dreams Manila
It is also an opportunity to bring established and emerging scholars working on the South China Sea into the same conversation, encourage new research on the region, and create a stronger connection between scholarship and the policy community.
The South China Sea Studies Symposium is made possible with the generous support of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Philippines.
Congratulations to the inaugural cohort, and see you in Manila on November 15!
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
🤝 [Partnership]
@kasphilippines × @wps_ph
Last June, KAS Philippines, led by Country Director Daniela Braun, and the WPS Foundation, led by its President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey Ordaniel, formalized their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. 🇩🇪🇵🇭
🌊 Building on their shared commitment to advance a free, open, rules-based, and stable maritime order in the region, KAS Philippines and the WPS Foundation are co-convening The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea this November.
🎓 As a pre-event to the Dialogue, the two organizations are also launching the inaugural South China Sea Studies Symposium, which will bring together senior scholars and emerging academics from around the world working on South China Sea-related topics to provide stronger intellectual grounding for the policy discussions at the #MNLDialogue.
🔗 The partnership reflects a shared determination to bridge academia and policy vis-à-vis the South China Sea and the broader maritime Asia.
⚓ Watch this space as the KAS–WPS collaboration continues to produce meaningful initiatives that promote the rule of law at sea!
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
KINMEN 123 IS NOW BRP SARANGANI 6177.
Full Statement: xitter.cf/wps_ph/status/21059775…
[STATEMENT]
The WPS Foundation welcomes the commissioning of BRP SARANGANI (6177) into the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), following the vessel's formal turnover on 21 September 2026.
BRP SARANGANI, formerly the KINMEN (CG123), was built in 2008. The fully refurbished vessel was acquired by the WPS Foundation and donated to the Philippine Coast Guard at no cost to the Philippine Government, exclusively for civilian maritime use.
The vessel is approximately 61 meters long and 11.7 meters wide, with a displacement of around 688 tons. It gives the PCG an additional platform for maritime patrols, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, marine environmental protection, training, and other civilian missions.
The donation followed months of coordination led by Dr. Jeffrey Ordaniel, President and CEO of the WPS Foundation.
"Our objective was straightforward: if we could bring a capable vessel to the Philippine Coast Guard without asking Filipino taxpayers to foot the bill, we should find a way to make it happen," Ordaniel said. "It took months of work, but we reached an arrangement that worked."
The Foundation thanks its partners in Taiwan, including the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, for their assistance in facilitating the transfer. It also acknowledges the Manila Economic and Cultural Office for its support.
The Foundation thanks Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, and the PCG officers and personnel who worked on the acceptance of the vessel.
"Every additional capable vessel means more presence at sea, more capacity for search and rescue, and more options when the Coast Guard is called upon to respond," Ordaniel said. "That is why we pursued this project."
The donation also reflects how far practical maritime cooperation between the peoples of the Philippines and Taiwan has come since the difficult 2013 incident involving a Taiwanese fishing vessel. Both sides have since worked to prevent similar incidents and to build cooperation in areas such as maritime safety and search and rescue.
The WPS Foundation believes there is room for further people-to-people and practical cooperation in search and rescue, maritime safety, fisheries, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and marine environmental protection, consistent with the Philippines' One China Policy.
"Ultimately, this is now a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. What matters is the service it provides to the Filipino people," Ordaniel said. "We are grateful to everyone who helped make this possible."
Welcome to the Philippine Coast Guard, BRP SARANGANI (6177).
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Mighty proud of this burgeoning alliance of democracies, and of great patriots such as @JeffreyOrdaniel for facilitating THIS!!! ✊🇵🇭🇹🇼
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Thank you, Dr. @JeffreyOrdaniel, for this donation!
[STATEMENT]
The WPS Foundation welcomes the commissioning of BRP SARANGANI (6177) into the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), following the vessel's formal turnover on 21 September 2026.
BRP SARANGANI, formerly the KINMEN (CG123), was built in 2008. The fully refurbished vessel was acquired by the WPS Foundation and donated to the Philippine Coast Guard at no cost to the Philippine Government, exclusively for civilian maritime use.
The vessel is approximately 61 meters long and 11.7 meters wide, with a displacement of around 688 tons. It gives the PCG an additional platform for maritime patrols, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, marine environmental protection, training, and other civilian missions.
The donation followed months of coordination led by Dr. Jeffrey Ordaniel, President and CEO of the WPS Foundation.
"Our objective was straightforward: if we could bring a capable vessel to the Philippine Coast Guard without asking Filipino taxpayers to foot the bill, we should find a way to make it happen," Ordaniel said. "It took months of work, but we reached an arrangement that worked."
The Foundation thanks its partners in Taiwan, including the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, for their assistance in facilitating the transfer. It also acknowledges the Manila Economic and Cultural Office for its support.
The Foundation thanks Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, and the PCG officers and personnel who worked on the acceptance of the vessel.
"Every additional capable vessel means more presence at sea, more capacity for search and rescue, and more options when the Coast Guard is called upon to respond," Ordaniel said. "That is why we pursued this project."
The donation also reflects how far practical maritime cooperation between the peoples of the Philippines and Taiwan has come since the difficult 2013 incident involving a Taiwanese fishing vessel. Both sides have since worked to prevent similar incidents and to build cooperation in areas such as maritime safety and search and rescue.
The WPS Foundation believes there is room for further people-to-people and practical cooperation in search and rescue, maritime safety, fisheries, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and marine environmental protection, consistent with the Philippines' One China Policy.
"Ultimately, this is now a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. What matters is the service it provides to the Filipino people," Ordaniel said. "We are grateful to everyone who helped make this possible."
Welcome to the Philippine Coast Guard, BRP SARANGANI (6177).
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Honored to join this inaugural cohort in Manila!
This week, a Chinese vessel loitered over subsea cable routes near Batanes. Protecting cables—from the Philippines to Taiwan—requires a coordinated response
Looking forward to learning from fellow scholars. Thanks, @wps_ph!
[ANNOUNCING: 2026 COHORT | SCS STUDIES SYMPOSIUM]
To provide stronger intellectual grounding for the policy discussions at The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea, and to help bridge the gap between academic research and policymaking, the South China Sea Studies Symposium was launched as the academic component of the Dialogue.
This year, its inaugural cohort brings together 19 scholars and researchers selected from 338 submissions representing 46 countries.
Their research covers a wide range of issues shaping the South China Sea: maritime coercion and gray-zone activities, international law, economic security, subsea cables and critical infrastructure, information operations, minilateral cooperation, and the roles of regional and extra-regional actors.
On November 15, 2026, members of the inaugural cohort will present their draft papers and receive feedback from fellow scholars and experts before developing them into final papers for publication.
South China Sea Studies Symposium
📅 November 15, 2026
⏰ 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
📍 Gallio Events Hall, next to Hyatt Regency City of Dreams Manila
It is also an opportunity to bring established and emerging scholars working on the South China Sea into the same conversation, encourage new research on the region, and create a stronger connection between scholarship and the policy community.
The South China Sea Studies Symposium is made possible with the generous support of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Philippines.
Congratulations to the inaugural cohort, and see you in Manila on November 15!
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Images: The Philippine Coast Guard has just commissioned its newest ship, the BRP Sarangani (6177).
Contrary to the previous reports, the actual vessel transferred by Taiwan to the Philippines through the WPS Foundation was actually the Kinmen (CG123) and not its sistership the Lienchiang (CG125).
The turnover took place on September 21, 2026 as per official disclosure made by WPS Foundation on its X (formerly Twitter) Account, with the commissioning ceremony only took place earlier today, October 2.
This development is significant in Taiwanese-Philippine ties since the incident involving a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and a Taiwanese fishing vessel near Batanes in 2013, signifying growing cooperation between both nations.
Prior to commissioning, the WPS Foundation reportedly donated this ship as a training vessel to the Philippine Coast Guard, serving as a stepping stone for future PCG personnel that will likely get assigned on other vessels in the maritime law enforcement agency'a white hull fleet.
#PDA #PitzDefAnalysis #BRPSarangani #PhilippineCoastGuard #PhilippineTaiwaneseTies
Images from the Philippine Coast Guard, shared via @wps_ph.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
BLINGNO. 1 is now the Philippine Coast Guard's newest addition, BRP Sarangani. Kudos @wps_ph @JeffreyOrdaniel 👍🏽👇🏽 xitter.cf/wps_ph/status/21059775…
[STATEMENT]
The WPS Foundation welcomes the commissioning of BRP SARANGANI (6177) into the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), following the vessel's formal turnover on 21 September 2026.
BRP SARANGANI, formerly the KINMEN (CG123), was built in 2008. The fully refurbished vessel was acquired by the WPS Foundation and donated to the Philippine Coast Guard at no cost to the Philippine Government, exclusively for civilian maritime use.
The vessel is approximately 61 meters long and 11.7 meters wide, with a displacement of around 688 tons. It gives the PCG an additional platform for maritime patrols, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, marine environmental protection, training, and other civilian missions.
The donation followed months of coordination led by Dr. Jeffrey Ordaniel, President and CEO of the WPS Foundation.
"Our objective was straightforward: if we could bring a capable vessel to the Philippine Coast Guard without asking Filipino taxpayers to foot the bill, we should find a way to make it happen," Ordaniel said. "It took months of work, but we reached an arrangement that worked."
The Foundation thanks its partners in Taiwan, including the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, for their assistance in facilitating the transfer. It also acknowledges the Manila Economic and Cultural Office for its support.
The Foundation thanks Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, and the PCG officers and personnel who worked on the acceptance of the vessel.
"Every additional capable vessel means more presence at sea, more capacity for search and rescue, and more options when the Coast Guard is called upon to respond," Ordaniel said. "That is why we pursued this project."
The donation also reflects how far practical maritime cooperation between the peoples of the Philippines and Taiwan has come since the difficult 2013 incident involving a Taiwanese fishing vessel. Both sides have since worked to prevent similar incidents and to build cooperation in areas such as maritime safety and search and rescue.
The WPS Foundation believes there is room for further people-to-people and practical cooperation in search and rescue, maritime safety, fisheries, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and marine environmental protection, consistent with the Philippines' One China Policy.
"Ultimately, this is now a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. What matters is the service it provides to the Filipino people," Ordaniel said. "We are grateful to everyone who helped make this possible."
Welcome to the Philippine Coast Guard, BRP SARANGANI (6177).
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
PCG DISRUPTS AND DRIVES AWAY CHINESE RESEARCH VESSEL JIA HAI KE 7 FROM ITS LOITERING POSITION OFF BATANES DESPITE CHINA COAST GUARD SHIELDING
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) successfully disrupted the unauthorized marine scientific research (MSR) of the Chinese research vessel JIA HAI KE 7 and compelled it to leave the position it had held off Itbayat, Batanes, for four days.
At about 11:42 AM today, 01 October 2026, JIA HAI KE 7 departed its loitering position about 37 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat at a speed of 4.6 knots. This is the first time the vessel has moved from the area since the PCG discovered its presence on Monday, 28 September. Its departure followed sustained pressure from BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and PCG Islander 251, which were deployed this morning to challenge the vessel, disrupt its illegal MSR, and drive it away from Philippine waters.
BRP Teresa Magbanua has since been shadowing JIA HAI KE 7 and continuing its maneuvers to drive the research vessel out of the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). China Coast Guard vessel CCG-2503 has repeatedly tried to shield the research vessel and block the PCG ship.
Despite the CCG vessel's blocking maneuvers, BRP Teresa Magbanua made its closest approach yet, coming within 50 yards of JIA HAI KE 7. At that time the research vessel was about 40 nautical miles west-northwest of Amianan Island, Batanes.
The continued escort of JIA HAI KE 7 by a China Coast Guard vessel again raises serious questions. Why would a government law enforcement ship go to such lengths to protect a supposedly privately owned research vessel that has been conducting illegal MSR over the undersea cable corridors of the Luzon Strait?
Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, no foreign vessel may conduct marine scientific research in the Philippine EEZ without the express consent of the Philippine government. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has confirmed that no such consent was given to JIA HAI KE 7.
BRP Teresa Magbanua will continue to shadow and drive away JIA HAI KE 7 until it exits the Philippine EEZ.
This operation is in accordance with the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to protect the country's maritime domain and not to tolerate any unauthorized foreign research within Philippine waters.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
PCG deploys vessel and aircraft to disrupt and drive away Chinese research vessel conducting unauthorized marine scientific research off Batanes; China Coast Guard ship moves in to shield JIA HAI KE 7
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and the PCG Islander aircraft (tail number 251) this morning, 01 October 2026, to challenge the Chinese research vessel JIA HAI KE 7, disrupt its activities, and drive it away from Philippine waters. The vessel has been loitering inside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), about 37 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, since the PCG first confirmed its presence on 28 September.
At 7:55 AM, BRP Teresa Magbanua closed in on JIA HAI KE 7 to less than 100 yards and launched a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to disrupt the research vessel's illegal marine scientific research (MSR) and compel it to leave the area. The RHIB circled JIA HAI KE 7 several times, keeping close pressure on the research vessel. JIA HAI KE 7 repeatedly maneuvered to evade the PCG units, while BRP Teresa Magbanua issued continuous radio challenges.
During the operation, China Coast Guard vessel CCG-2503 abruptly arrived in the vicinity. It moved toward BRP Teresa Magbanua and issued repeated radio challenges. BRP Teresa Magbanua, in turn, shadowed the CCG vessel at about 1,000 yards while remaining close to the research vessel.
The involvement of a China Coast Guard vessel is significant because JIA HAI KE 7 is privately owned. A government law enforcement ship moving to shield a supposedly private research vessel conducting illegal MSR in another country's EEZ raises serious questions about who JIA HAI KE 7 is really working for. It also raises questions about what data the vessel has collected over the country's undersea cable corridors in the Luzon Strait over the past four days.
It is worth noting that JIA HAI KE 7 has not moved away from the area since the PCG discovered its presence on Monday, 28 September. A vessel exercising innocent passage or freedom of navigation would proceed on its course. JIA HAI KE 7 has instead held its position in the same waters for four days, which is a clear indication that it is conducting MSR.
PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan also deployed PCG Islander 251, which took off from Basco Airport to conduct a Maritime Domain Awareness flight over the area. Upon arrival, the aircraft circled the vicinity several times at low altitude in support of BRP Teresa Magbanua.
As of 11:00 AM today, BRP Teresa Magbanua remains about 37 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat. It continues to circle JIA HAI KE 7 at about 500 yards to maintain PCG presence in the area, disrupt the vessel's illegal MSR, and drive it out of the Philippine EEZ.
Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, no foreign vessel may conduct marine scientific research in the Philippine EEZ without the express consent of the Philippine government. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has confirmed that no such consent was given to JIA HAI KE 7. The PCG will continue to challenge, disrupt, and drive away the vessel until it leaves Philippine waters.
This operation is in accordance with the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to protect the country's maritime domain and not to tolerate any unauthorized foreign research within Philippine waters.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
China is claiming the land of its neighbours from Batanes to Bhutan, but apparently it is building a world class military just to deter countries from intervening when it attacks Taiwan? Pull the other one.
Jeffrey Ordaniel retweeted
Ambassador Jing Quan, anong kachinongalingan na naman ito? Aminin niyo na lang — chinongaling ba kayo, o hindi niyo lang talaga binasa ang UNCLOS?
Ang JIA HAI KE 7 ay 37.84 nautical miles lang mula sa Itbayat, Batanes. Under Article 56 ng UNCLOS, ang coastal State — ang Pilipinas — ang may sovereign rights at jurisdiction sa EEZ nito, kasama na ang marine scientific research. Under Article 246, kailangan ng CONSENT ng Pilipinas bago mag-MSR sa aming EEZ. Walang permit. Walang consent. Walang jurisdiction ang China dito.
Tandaan niyo: ang Batanes ay wala kahit sa loob ng sarili niyong ilegal at imbentong nine-dash line — na binasura na ng 2016 Arbitral Award. Ngayon, gusto niyo pang palawakin hanggang Luzon Strait?
At huwag niyo kaming lokohin sa "normal navigation." Ang normal na barko, hindi nag-i-spoof ng AIS position, hindi nag-loiter sa ibabaw ng submarine cable corridor, at sumasagot sa radio challenge. Ginawa ng JIA HAI KE 7 ang kabaligtaran ng lahat ng iyan.
Hindi "nag-hype" ang Pilipinas. Kayo ang nag-i-invent ng jurisdiction sa Batanes. Tigilan niyo na ang KACHINONGALINGAN na iyan!
