Chinese vessels monitored in the West Philippine Sea are part of efforts to establish and normalize Beijing’s illegal presence in Philippine waters, a military official said.

Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for West Philippine Sea matters, said China’s continued harassment activities reflect a deliberate strategy to assert control in the area.

Speaking at a briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Trinidad said the recent increase in Chinese vessel presence coincided with developments in the Middle East, suggesting Beijing is taking advantage of shifting global attention.

“They will take advantage of every opportunity to legalize their illegal presence and to normalize the situation. We have noted in the past two weeks an escalation of their numbers, which coincided with developments in the Middle East region. These are deliberate. They are trying to normalize their illegal presence and take advantage of the focus of the international community in the Middle East,” he said.

Trinidad cited recent incidents involving dangerous maneuvers by a Chinese warship and the alleged use of fire-control radar against Philippine vessels conducting patrols in the area.

Despite this, he said the AFP remains committed to de-escalation and will not be provoked into retaliation.

“Amid all the illegal, the coercive and aggressive actions being conducted against us, the AFP will not be provoked to escalate the situation. All our actions will remain professional and within the bounds of international law,” Trinidad said.

He added that recent encounters involving “gray ship to gray ship” interactions between the PLA Navy and the Philippine Navy were intentional and unprofessional, but stressed that the military would continue to act with restraint.

“They are trying to establish their illegal presence. They are trying to normalize their illegal presence in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.