Philippines Arrests Chinese National Over Suspected Espionage Activities Near Military Sites

Filipino national security adviser Secretary Eduardo M. Año said the arrest ‘is a stark reminder of the persistent threats posed by foreign interference.’
Philippines Arrests Chinese National Over Suspected Espionage Activities Near Military Sites
China's largest coast guard vessel 5901 in the Philippine exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea on Jan. 5, 2025. Philippine Coast Guard via Reuters
Frank Fang
Updated:
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A Chinese national was arrested in the Philippines for allegedly conducting surveillance operations on military facilities.

At a press conference in Manila on Jan. 20, the Chinese suspect was identified as Deng Yuanqing, whom local investigators said is affiliated with the Army Engineering University of the People’s Liberation Army in China.

Deng was part of a group that authorities had been investigating since intelligence indicated they had arrived in the Philippines to perform surveillance on critical infrastructure, including military facilities, according to Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago.

“We seized his vehicle, and mounted on it was an espionage equipment,” Santiago said at the press conference. “It is possible that some of the collected information has already been transmitted to China.”

Deng was arrested along with two Filipino accomplices, who the NBI identified as Ronel Jojo Balundo Besa and Jason Amado Fernandez, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The trio visited several locations, including sites where the U.S. military has been granted access under a bilateral agreement, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Romeo Brawner Jr. said.

“We are just looking into the overall espionage effort of China,” Brawner said at the press conference.

According to PNA, the trio were arrested in Makati, a city located in the southeast of Manila.

Brawner added that local authorities were still conducting forensics of the seized equipment, which included photos of Fort Bonifacio, the headquarters of the Philippine army, and Camp Crame, the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police, according to the outlet.

Security around all of the Philippines’s military camps and facilities has been increased, Brawner said, according to the outlet.

Last year, a Chinese national was arrested with what may have been espionage equipment, Brawner added, according to the outlet.

Filipino national security adviser Secretary Eduardo M. Año applauded the AFP, the NBI, and his country’s intelligence community for their effort, saying the trio had “engaged in sophisticated surveillance, espionage, and intelligence-gathering activities in the country,” according to a statement issued on Jan. 21.

“The arrest of these individuals is a stark reminder of the persistent threats posed by foreign interference and malign influence to the country,” Año said.

“In light of these developments, we urge Congress to prioritize the passage of the amendments to the Espionage Act as well as the Countering Foreign Interference and Malign Influence bill.

“Strengthening our legal framework is essential to effectively address evolving security threats and to ensure that those who seek to compromise our national security will face the full force of the law.”

Alico Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, a city north of Manila, came under scrutiny for allegedly having ties to Chinese criminal syndicates. She fled the Philippines before she was arrested in Indonesia. According to Filipino immigration authorities, she was returned to the Philippines in September 2024.
The PNA reported in December 2024 that a local court had denied Guo’s petition for bail.
Guo is now facing multiple counts of money laundering and human trafficking, the PNA reported on Jan. 15.

The cases come amid growing tension between China and the Philippines over Chinese maritime activities, including the conduct of its coast guard and fishing militia in Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

Since the beginning of this year, Manila has criticized Beijing for deploying vessels to the disputed Scarborough shoal, which is off the coast of the western province of Zambales.
Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard, wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday that three Chinese vessels were spotted within his country’s exclusive economic zone near Zambales.

“The Philippine Coast Guard remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the country’s maritime interests and upholding international law without escalating tensions,” Tarriela said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Frank Fang
Frank Fang
journalist
Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based journalist. He covers U.S., China, and Taiwan news. He holds a master's degree in materials science from Tsinghua University in Taiwan.
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