Chinese Floating Research Platform at Scarborough Shoal Confirmed Removed

A 6-by-6-meter floating platform China had installed inside Bajo de Masinloc's (Scarborough Shoal) lagoon — first discovered by Philippine authorities on May 25, 2026 and the subject of a formal Philippine diplomatic protest and probe — was confirmed removed during final-day surveillance of the 4th PH-US Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity on June 17, 2026. China had claimed the structure was a 'temporary scientific research facility' studying coral reefs; Manila had rejected that characterization. Two earlier floating buoys China installed in October 2025 remained in place, and CSIS AMTI recorded 933 CCG ship-days at Scarborough in the first half of 2026 (avg. 156/month, peaking at 216 in May) — nearly matching all of 2025's 1,099 ship-day total.