CCG 3103 Shadows Philippine 'Atin Ito' Civilian Mission in West Philippine Sea — PCG Issues Radio Challenge; China Reaffirms Maritime Claims

On May 2, 2026, a China Coast Guard vessel (CCG 3103) was observed shadowing the 'Atin Ito' (This Is Ours) civilian coalition's fourth West Philippine Sea mission, one day before the group's successful flag-planting operation on Sandy Cay 1 (Tiexian Jiao). Philippine Coast Guard personnel issued radio challenges to CCG 3103, asserting that China has no legal jurisdiction to conduct maritime law enforcement activities within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone under UNCLOS. China's coast guard reiterated Beijing's maritime sovereignty claims over the disputed waters, framing the shadowing as routine 'law enforcement' in waters it considers subject to its jurisdiction. The Manila Times reported that China used the engagement to reaffirm its position — a claim rejected by the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling — that these waters fall under Chinese jurisdiction. The Atin Ito mission had departed from Palawan the previous night heading toward Sandy Cay 1, approximately 160 nautical miles from Palawan. Despite CCG 3103's surveillance, the civilian coalition executed a successful overnight approach and landed on the feature at dawn on May 3. The ability of a civilian group to evade a state coast guard vessel and plant their country's flag on a contested feature has been widely noted by analysts as a demonstration of the limits of Chinese maritime militia and coast guard deterrence against civilian-led sovereignty assertion missions.