The Chinese monster ship reportedly moved away from the Philippine coast as another China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel took its place.

Footage shows the CCG vessel 5901 lurking in Philippine waters as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) BRP Gabriela Silang circled it some 95 nautical miles off the Philippine shoreline, on January 19.

In a statement on Sunday, PCG spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said: 'The PCG has been conducting hourly radio challenges to remind the Chinese crew that their operations within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) breach the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which they are a signatory, and blatantly violate the 2016 Arbitral Award that nullified their nine-dash line claim.

'In today's monitoring activities, BRP Gabriela Silang observed the relief and assumption of two Chinese Coast Guard vessels. At approximately 3 PM, CCG-5901 moved further away from the PCG vessel, while another vessel, CCG-3304, approached the coast of Zambales.'

He noted that the Chinese replacement vessel was still larger than the BRP Gabriela Silang - the largest ship in the PCG's arsenal.

The massive CCG 5901, the world's largest coast guard vessel at 541 feet and 12,000 tons, started lurking off the seaside province of Zambales on January 4 afternoon. Another CCG ship had headed to the area to replace it on January 8, before it circled back to the area, officials said.

Authorities believe it was deployed to intimidate Filipino fishermen from entering the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed fishing ground and resource-rich area in the South China Sea.

Expansionist China currently lays claim over almost the entire South China Sea, one of the world's busiest sea lanes. But a United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 deemed its claims groundless.

The Communist rogue state - accused of genocide for its crimes against the Uyghur population - has been steadily increasing its influence in recent years through investment in developing countries.