Despite the recent increase in the number of Chinese vessels in various maritime features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), an official of the Philippine Navy (PN) stated that the situation remains within “acceptable limits.”
Current Situation
Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, mentioned that the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) South Sea Fleet could deploy approximately 75 to 80 ships and submarines. As of Tuesday, Navy data indicated a total of 146 Chinese vessels were spotted across eight maritime features from June 4 to 10, including 22 PLAN vessels.
“Kung titignan natin ang buong kakayanan ng South Sea Fleet, hindi pa naman ‘to alarming, ‘yung current increase, sapagkat it is well within the capability of the South Sea Fleet,” Trinidad said during a public briefing.
Details of Vessel Sightings
Aside from the PLAN vessels, the Navy also detected 108 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels (CMMV) and 16 China Coast Guard vessels (CCGV). The total number of Chinese vessels increased from 125 in the previous week to 146.
- Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal): 50 vessels
- Pag-asa Island: 42 vessels
- Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal): 33 vessels
- Other Locations: Kota Island, Likas Island, Lawak Island, Panata Island, and Sabina Shoal
Exercise Activities
Trinidad attributed the increase in the number of Chinese vessels, particularly PLAN vessels, to exercises conducted earlier this month at Sabina Shoal, where the Chinese military launched a hovercraft and aircraft and performed sea maneuvers.
Monitoring and Concerns
Commodore Trinidad noted that the situation would only become concerning if forces from China’s other fleets, such as the East Sea Fleet or the North Sea Fleet, were deployed. “What will be concerning is ‘pag ito ay may mga pwersa sila galing sa ibang fleet nila—the East Sea Fleet or the North Sea Fleet. But so far ‘yung increase in numbers is still within our acceptable limits,” he added.