No Chinese vessels were observed in the vicinity of the joint maritime exercise conducted by the Philippine and United States navies in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“Both visual and radar monitoring confirmed that no Chinese vessels were detected in the exercise area,” stated AFP public affairs office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad.
On Wednesday, the Philippine Navy’s BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS16) and the US Navy’s USS Mobile (LCS 26) participated in a series of cooperative maritime activities. These included a communications check exercise, division tactics, officer of the watch maneuver exercise, photographic exercise, and cross deck exercise, all aimed at bolstering the interoperability and cooperative capabilities of the two navies.
“These joint exercises with our ally are crucial in enhancing our naval capabilities and ensuring that we can effectively collaborate to safeguard our maritime interests,” remarked AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.
In recent months, Chinese vessels have been a frequent presence in the WPS during multinational maritime activities. In April, two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships were spotted six nautical miles from Busuanga, Palawan, during a joint exercise involving the Philippines, United States, Japan, and Australia. Similarly, a Chinese PLAN vessel shadowed Philippine and American ships at a distance of 6.5 nautical miles during a joint maritime patrol last November.
Efforts to reduce tensions between the Philippines and China in the WPS have been ongoing, with a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting in July aimed at de-escalation. The Philippine Navy has noted a subsequent decrease in the number of Chinese vessels in the area.
Recently, an arrangement was reached between the two countries regarding the rotation and resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, designed to prevent future confrontations. Notably, no incidents were reported during the Philippines’ first resupply mission under this new agreement on July 27.
China asserts extensive claims over the South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea—a vital conduit for over $3 trillion in annual maritime trade. These claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s claims to have “no legal basis,” a decision China has not recognized.