On Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that China’s largest coastguard vessel had anchored in Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, intending to intimidate the Philippines.

According to PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela, the 165-meter Chinese “monster ship” entered the 200-nautical mile EEZ on July 2.

The PCG warned the Chinese vessel that it was in the Philippine’s EEZ and inquired about its intentions.

Tarriela stated, “It’s an intimidation on the part of the China Coast Guard. We’re not going to pull out and we’re not going to be intimidated.”

The Chinese embassy in Manila and the Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.

The Chinese coast guard has no publicly available contact information.

Tarriela mentioned that the Chinese ship, which had also deployed a small boat, was anchored 800 yards away from the PCG vessel.

Written by B.C. Begley