Putrajaya may have made public its displeasure over a China coast guard vessel violating Malaysian waters by anchoring in the South Luconia Shoal but such intrusions have apparently been more extensive than it had let on.

According to satellite images obtained by current affairs and defence magazine The Diplomat, China had an even larger coast guard ship operating at the Luconia Breakers (Hempasan Bentin).

This was separate from a smaller China coast guard ship Putrajaya had complained about earlier this month.

The Luconia Breakers is part of South Luconia Shoal (Beting Patinggi Ali), which is around 84 nautical miles from Sarawak and is within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone that extends 200 nautical miles out to sea.