Some 251 Chinese vessels are currently positioned in various locations within the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in what is seen as an escalation of Beijing’s effort to challenge the steely resolve of its stoic neighbor.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy’s (PN) spokesperson for the WPS, said the number of Chinese ships presently inside internationally recognized Philippine territory represents a “record-high” this year.
He declined to speculate on what triggered the significant increase in China’s maritime presence in the disputed waters, which is significantly higher than the previous norm of around 157 Chinese ships or less.
Trinidad said that in the one week from Sept. 17 to 23, the PN has recorded the presence of 16 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships, 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, and 204 Chinese maritime militia (CMM) boats.
The greatest concentration of Chinese vessels was spotted at Escoda Shoal, with 82 ships, and Ayungin Shoal, with 72 ships.
Chinese ships were also monitored in or around Bajo de Masinloc, Pagasa Islands, Likas Island, Panata Island, and Iroquois Reef.
The naval officer disclosed that a Chinese “research vessel” was spotted as near as 27 nautical miles from Palawan on Monday, but it was no longer there when PN ships arrived to challenge it.
However, Trinidad clarified that the enhanced Chinese maritime presence around Ayungin and Escoda Shoals cannot be interpreted as a naval “blockade” at the moment.
“No [it is not a blockade]. I call them as illegal presence, coercive and aggressive actions, and deceptive messaging,” he said.
A naval blockade is an act of war regulated by international law—namely, by the Declaration Respecting Maritime Law adopted in Paris on 16 April 1856 and by articles 1-21 of the Declaration Concerning the Laws of Naval War adopted on 26 February 1909 in London.
Trinidad said the Philippine government is weighing various options to resolve the continued Chinese encroachment in the WPS.
“There are many approaches that could be taken. We haven’t exhausted all approaches (yet),” he noted without being specific as to these options.
Trinidad also called “unsafe” and “unprofessional” the aerial harassment perpetrated by a Chinese military chopper that was tailing a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plane over Bajo de Masinloc.
He said the Chines chopper’s “unsafe maneuvers” could have resulted in a collision with the Philippines’ small unarmed aircraft.
The BFAR is a civilian organization tasked with the development, improvement, management, and conservation of the country’s fishery and aquatic resources.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Navy says China deployed more ships in WPS this year.”
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