The Philippine military monitored 74 Chinese navy and coast guard vessels in key areas of the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS) in June, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Retired Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the vessels included 29 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships and 45 China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels monitored from June 1 to 30 near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, Escoda (Sabina) Shoal and Pag-asa (Thitu) Island.
‘Illegal, coercive, aggressive’
The largest concentration was recorded at Panatag, where the Philippine Navy monitored 41 Chinese vessels, including 16 PLAN warships and 25 CCG vessels.
Another 16 Chinese vessels—four PLAN warships and 12 CCG vessels—were monitored at Ayungin Shoal.
The Navy also tracked eight Chinese vessels at Escoda Shoal, including five PLAN and three CCG vessels.
Nine vessels were monitored near Pag-asa Island, consisting of four PLAN ships and five CCG vessels.
Trinidad said the figures underscore what the AFP describes as China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive” activities, which he said undermine the rules-based international order and violate the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its exclusive economic zone.
“Such actions contribute to regional tensions and highlight the importance of continued vigilance and adherence to international law,” he said.
Other vessels
The AFP monitored a total of 20,494 vessels from June 1 to 30, including 17,374 foreign vessels and 3,120 domestic vessels, operating within Philippine “areas of interest.”
Of those monitored, 14,548 responded to Philippine Navy radio challenges while 5,946 did not, according to the AFP.
The military said the radio challenges were part of its maritime domain awareness efforts to “detect, identify and assess” vessels operating in Philippine waters. INQ
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