Navy flags surge in Chinese ships in West Philippine Sea

The number of Chinese vessels monitored with some features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) increased in June, the Philippine Navy reported on Tuesday.

A total of 49 Chinese vessels were seen in Bajo de Masinloc, Ayungin Shoal, and Pagasa Island.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS, said nine China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and 14 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were sighted in Bajo de Masinloc; 12 CCG vessels and two PLAN vessels in Ayungin Shoal; and nine CCG vessels and three PLAN vessels near Pagasa Island.

“These 49 ships were not there all the time but they were in and out of the different features,” Trinidad told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Trinidad stressed that the number of Chinese vessels in the WPS in June was "the highest compared to the 11 in January, nine in February, 35 in March, 31 in April, and 41 in May."

“We have to look at it from the perspective of, probably, the weather or the deployment cycle,” Trinidad said, when asked why the number of Chinese vessels increased.

“Right now, we have no direct reference on the tactical implications of bakit tumaas (why it rose) to 49 from last month's number of 41. Probably, it will be a factor of the weather or the deployment cycle, maintenance, and repair,” he added.

Despite this, Trinidad emphasized that the Philippine Navy remains on top of the situation.

The military, he added, continues to heighten vigilance and maintain sustained presence in the country’s maritime domain.

“With strengthened maritime domain awareness and inter-agency coordination, your AFP assures the public of its continued commitment to asserting the nation’s rights and maintaining peace and stability in the region,” he said.