The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it has monitored 19 Chinese warships operating in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) throughout November, slightly fewer than the 21 spotted in October.

In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesperson for t WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said the warships—consisting of frigates, destroyers, and other People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) vessels—were detected near the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc, areas where China continues to maintain a persistent maritime presence within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The sightings were part of the 14,972 vessels tracked by the AFP across the country in November. Of these, 12,450 were foreign vessels while 2,522 were domestic.

Trinidad said the dip in Chinese warship sightings compared to October was likely due to recent weather disturbances, which forced several foreign vessels to seek shelter elsewhere.

While the AFP continues to record PLA-N warship activity, Trinidad noted that the military has stopped publicly reporting figures on Chinese maritime militia vessels, citing the difficulty in accurately tracking their movements, especially when they move in and out of PLA-N bases.

He added that the AFP is coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to harmonize data on China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels.

Nearly 15,000 vessels were recorded nationwide, with 13,190 responding to AFP radio checks and 1,781 remaining unresponsive.

The military registered the highest vessel traffic with 6,898 movements in the country’s northern maritime zone, followed by the southern sector with 5,120, the western sector with 2,259, and the eastern sector with 695.

Despite ongoing Chinese naval activity in the WPS, Trinidad stressed that the AFP recorded no hostile actions from the PLA-N during the month.

“There has been no report of any fire control system activated against our ships,” he said. “Their presence is there. They’re silent, we monitor them, and we challenge them.”

Trinidad also stressed the AFP continues to maintain regular patrols and monitoring operations in the WPS. 

The tensions remain high over disputed waters in the WPS as China continues expanding its military footprint in the region.