Chinese coast guard ships were found to be patrolling around the Luconia Shoals located in Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters almost round the clock last year, said a research body that monitors the situation. in the South China Sea.

According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) based in Washington, United States, Chinese coast guard vessels patrolled Patinggi Ali Shoal for 316 days last year, which is an increase from 279 days in 2020.

“The number of days on which Chinese coast guard vessels patrol the Patinggi Ali Shoal near Malaysia’s important oil and gas operations has increased from 279 days in 2020 to 316 days last year,” according to the research body.

Beting Patinggi Ali is located only 84 nautical miles (155 km) from the coast of Miri (specifically in Tanjung Baram), Sarawak and is clearly within the waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Malaysia according to the definition of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 ( UNCLOS).

According to AMTI, the number of days that Chinese coast patrol vessels patrol Patinggi Ali Shoal is the second highest among the five maritime features in the South China Sea.

The five maritime features monitored by AMTI are Second Thomas Shoal, Beting Patinggi Ali, Scarborough Shoal, Vanguard Bank and Thitu Island.

The results of the study by the research body showed that Beting Patinggi Ali was only behind Scarborough Shoal which saw the number of patrolling days of Chinese ships last year increase to 344 days from 287 days in 2020.

Meanwhile, the number of days Chinese coast guard vessels patrol Vanguard Bank, which is Vietnam’s main oil and gas location, has doubled from 142 days in 2020 to 310 days last year.

As for Second Thomas Shoal, the patrol of Chinese coast guard ships has increased from 142 days in 2020 to 310 days in 2022, while for Thitu Island belonging to the Philippines, the patrol of Chinese ships has increased to 208 days last year, according to AMTI.

An analysis by an international research body found that patrols by Chinese coast guard vessels last year at several maritime features in the South China Sea, including those clearly located within Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE), were more extensive and aggressive.

It said Chinese coast guard vessels were found patrolling several maritime features in the South China Sea including the Patinggi Ali Shoals (Luconia Shoals) almost every day over the past year.

“Last year has shown an overall increase in the patrolling of Chinese coast guard vessels in the maritime features of the South China Sea,” according to AMTI.

Chinese coast guard ships along with its maritime militia boats remained on almost daily patrols in several locations in the South China Sea last year, proving Beijing’s determination to enforce control over the maritime areas included in the “Nine Dash Line”.

Since the data obtained by AMTI is from the incomplete AIS (Automatic Identification System) of ships, there is also a possibility that the number of days the Chinese coast guard ships patrol in the South China Sea is higher than reported.

There are Chinese coast guard vessels that cannot be monitored via the AIS platform — either because the AIS transceiver is turned off or the satellite cannot detect it.

Meanwhile, a researcher with a renowned university in the United States, Colonel (R) Raymond M. Powell told Defense Security Asia that although the Nine Dash Line claim by China was rejected by the United Nations (UN) Arbitral Tribunal in 2016, however, Beijing continues its aggressive campaign to dominate and control the EEZ waters belonging to its neighboring countries.

In the long term, China through its continued power projection will weaken the resistance of the countries involved and force them to give up their legitimate maritime rights, said he who is also a former senior officer of the United States military.

Powell is the leader of the Myoushu Project at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, Stanford University.