Former United States Air Force official and ex-Defense Attaché Ray Powell reported on Friday that they have detected two Chinese research vessels “loitering” at the Philippine Rise.

According to Powell, the Chinese vessels Haiyang Dizhi Liuhao and Haiyang Dizhi Shihao came from Longque Island in Guangzhou province on February 26 and moved east-southeast through the Luzon Strait.

In Powell’s “X” post, it showed a map that confirmed the vessels’ direction as they sailed between Basco, Batanes, and islands off the main island in Luzon as of March 1.

On 26 February, two research vessels left port at Longxue Island in Guangzhou, 🇨🇳#China & moved ESE through the Luzon Strait. As of 1 March they are loitering east of Luzon in the NE corner of Benham (Philippine) Rise, which is in the 🇵🇭#Philippines' exclusive economic zone. pic.twitter.com/1S13J1EpFM

— Ray Powell (@GordianKnotRay) March 1, 2024

Philippine Navy spokesperson Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad mentioned that there is nothing to be concerned about the sighting the two Chinese research vessels at the Philippine Rise, or what was better known as the Benham Rise.

Trinidad explained that as of Saturday, the detected vessels were out of the country’s exclusive economic zone after their three-day passage, emphasizing that those ships were only doing a normal transit passage.

He added that the vessels were last seen 600 nautical miles east of Casiguran, or far from the Philippines’ EEZ, on Sunday.