Philippine vessel stages provocative actions near Huangyan Dao: China Coast Guard

China's coast guard authorities on Tuesday said one of its ships patrolling waters near Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea had been harassed by a Philippine vessel which had attempted to smear the Chinese side by taking staged photos.

The incident took place on Monday morning, when the Philippine coast guard ship 4409 dangerously approached the Chinese vessel Zhongnan in waters near Huangyan Dao, crossing close to the bow of the Chinese vessel four times, according to the China Coast Guard (CCG).

After repeated warnings and regulatory measures taken by the CCG, the Philippine vessel was eventually repelled from the area, the authorities said, adding that the Philippine side later attempted to disregard the facts and distort the truth by using media platforms to hype up the incident.

The actions of the Philippine side seriously violated relevant provisions of international law and maritime collision prevention regulations, the CCG said. By illegally and dangerously approaching the Chinese vessel, which was on a lawful mission, the Philippine ship threatened the safety of the Chinese personnel and ship, it noted.

The CCG responded professionally and in a lawful manner, the authorities stressed. In addition, the CCG vowed to resolutely counter any provocation by Philippine vessels in order to safeguard China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Philippine vessel stages provocative actions near Huangyan Dao: China Coast Guard

Philippine vessel stages provocative actions near Huangyan Dao: China Coast Guard

Philippine vessel stages provocative actions near Huangyan Dao: China Coast Guard

Philippine vessel stages provocative actions near Huangyan Dao: Chinese coast guard

China on Tuesday sent the Yaogan-50 01 remote sensing satellite into space.

Launched at 22:16 (Beijing Time) aboard a modified version of the Long March-6 rocket, the satellite has entered planned orbit, according to the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

It will be used for national land surveys, crop yield estimation, and disaster prevention and mitigation.

The launch was the 624th flight mission undertaken by the Long March rocket series and marked China's first successful orbital launch of 2026.

China opens 2026 space mission schedule with successful satellite launch