On a quiet October morning, Philippine watchers in the south of the archipelago noticed a Chinese carrier group sliding past the coasts of Zamboanga del Norte and Sarangani, its flagship the Liaoning trailed by three destroyers. Nothing was seized or fired upon, yet the presence of a foreign navy's great ships so near home is a reminder of how the sea between nations keeps its own old rules of passage. The Armed Forces of the Philippines chose to reveal what it had quietly followed, and in doing so placed a single transit into a longer story still being written, where the meaning of each passa
AFP Tracks Chinese Carrier Group Transiting Near Zamboanga and Sarangani Waters
Fifteen nautical miles from the coast, and the radio went unanswered
Mark
Why does a ship passing 15 nautical miles offshore make news?
Mimi
Because it's a carrier group, not a lone vessel, and it came within 30 kilometers of Zamboanga del Norte. The Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force all had to respond.
Luke
Worth saying what the reporting actually shows: Westmincom's account of positions and times. Nothing here says the Chinese intended anything by the route.
Mark
The ships ignored radio challenges. Is that significant?
Mimi
It's a detail Westmincom reported, and it means there was no exchange between the two sides during the transit.
Luke
Right, but the source doesn't say whether silence is unusual for a transit like this. That's unknown.
Mark
What did Tarriela say?
Mimi
That Beijing would likely call it innocent passage, and that there was no reason for the ships to zigzag.
Luke
He's predicting China's argument, not stating a legal finding. And he's a Coast Guard spokesperson, so it's one official's reading.
Mark
And the December 2025 passage?
Mimi
The same group went through the Basilan Strait then, returning to China. So this is at least the second time.
Luke
Two instances. Calling it a pattern would be premature on this reporting.
El Pulso
- A Chinese carrier group came within roughly 15 nautical miles of the Zamboanga del Norte coast, close enough to unsettle anyone watching from shore.
- The formation ignored radio challenges from Philippine forces, leaving the Navy and Coast Guard to shadow it in silence across the Basilan Strait.
- Philippine ships, aircraft and helicopters converged on the group, tracking its course from Talulu Point past Kalamansig toward the Celebes Sea.
- Manila's Coast Guard expects Beijing to invoke innocent passage, and the group has already left the area, so the question now is whether it returns.
On a quiet October morning, Philippine watchers in the south of the archipelago noticed a Chinese carrier group sliding past the coasts of Zamboanga del Norte and Sarangani, its flagship the Liaoning trailed by three destroyers. Nothing was seized or fired upon, yet the presence of a foreign navy's great ships so near home is a reminder of how the sea between nations keeps its own old rules of passage. The Armed Forces of the Philippines chose to reveal what it had quietly followed, and in doing so placed a single transit into a longer story still being written, where the meaning of each passage depends on whether it is repeated.
Early on October 22, Philippine forces in the south spotted a Chinese aircraft carrier group moving through waters off Zamboanga del Norte. The Armed Forces of the Philippines only confirmed the sighting days later, on October 26, after its Western Mindanao Command had followed the formation the whole way. The group was led by the Liaoning, with the destroyers Huainan, Wuxi and Anshan in company. Its closest approach was about 15 nautical miles from Talulu Point, less than 30 kilometers from land, and a local netizen had already filmed the ships and posted the footage online.
The response unfolded through the day. The frigate BRP Diego Silang shadowed the group from the start, and the patrol vessel BRP Emilio Jacinto joined as the ships crossed the Basilan Strait. Radio challenges went unanswered. By evening, near Kalamansig, the Coast Guard ship BRP Sarangani had joined the watch, and Philippine Air Force aircraft flew surveillance overhead. Around 11 p.m., the group slipped out of the area toward the Celebes Sea.
Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela noted that the passage likely falls under internationally recognized rights of innocent passage, which Beijing would probably cite. Still, this was at least the second time the Liaoning group had used the Basilan Strait, following a December 2025 passage. Two transits are not yet a pattern, but a third would invite the question of what Beijing intends.
At about 7 a.m. on Oct. 22, Philippine forces in the south spotted a Chinese aircraft carrier group in waters off Zamboanga del Norte. The Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed on Monday, Oct. 26, that it had tracked the formation as it moved through the area.
The Western Mindanao Command, known as Westmincom, said the group was led by the Liaoning of the People's Liberation Army Navy. Three destroyers sailed with it: the Huainan, the Wuxi and the Anshan. Westmincom said the formation was first monitored northwest of Talulu Point in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. It was later tracked southwest of Maitum, Sarangani, still heading southeast toward the Celebes Sea.
The closest recorded approach was 15 nautical miles from Talulu Point, which is less than 30 kilometers from the coast. The source also notes that a netizen spotted the carrier and posted footage of its transit on social media.
The Philippine response began with the Navy. The guided missile frigate BRP Diego Silang was deployed to shadow the group. Around 10 a.m., as the Chinese ships crossed the Basilan Strait, the Navy patrol vessel BRP Emilio Jacinto joined the monitoring. Westmincom said it tried to reach the Chinese ships by radio challenge, but they did not respond.
By 6 p.m. the group was near the coast of Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat. There the Philippine Coast Guard patrol ship BRP Sarangani joined the Diego Silang. At 9 p.m. the two vessels were still following the formation as it headed for the Celebes Sea. Westmincom estimated, from the reported course and speed, that the group left its area of operations at about 11 p.m. that night.
The Philippine Air Force also took part. Westmincom said it flew aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions with a Black Hawk helicopter and an NC-212i aircraft.
The transit was at least the second reported passage of the Liaoning group through the Basilan Strait. The same formation had been observed there in December 2025, when it was returning to China.
Despite how close the warships came to Philippine shores, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela, said the movement could still fall within internationally recognized navigation rights. "Most likely the Chinese government would just argue that this is just right of innocent passage," he said. He added that there was no reason for the ships to zigzag, and that while the route could be read as significant, China would say it was simply exercising that right.
What to watch is whether the Liaoning group, or other Chinese carrier formations, use the Basilan Strait again. Two reported passages do not yet make a pattern, but a third would suggest one.
Citas Notables
Most likely the Chinese government would just argue that this is just right of innocent passage.— Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea
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