MANILA – Chinese vessels remain present in the West Philippine Sea, including warships and research vessels, according to surveillance data from the Philippine Navy.
The report, released on Tuesday, indicated that 178 Chinese ships have been identified within Philippine waters between September 24 and 30. Among them were 17 vessels from the People’s Liberation Army Navy dispersed across several areas and two Chinese research and survey ships near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).
Additionally, the West Philippine Sea was filled with 28 China Coast Guard ships and 131 Chinese maritime militia vessels.
Over the weekend, China announced it had “organized naval and air forces to conduct routine reconnaissance, early warning, and sea-air patrol exercises” near Bajo de Masinloc, an area over which it asserts “indisputable sovereignty.”
This development occurred simultaneously with the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) involving the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in the northern part of the West Philippine Sea, including Bajo de Masinloc in Zambales.
In a statement released by the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, and reported by the state-run Global Times, Beijing claimed that “certain external countries are stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, creating instability in the region.”
On Sunday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed that Chinese naval vessels shadowed the joint exercises of the Philippines and its allies. However, Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, AFP spokesperson, assured that the exercises continued as scheduled without interference, and that there was no risk posed to the ships involved.
Despite a 2016 international ruling that invalidates China’s claims, Beijing continues to assert control over nearly the entire South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.