Bad weather may cause decrease of Chinese militia ships in West PH Sea
MANILA, Philippines — The number of Chinese maritime militia (CMM) ships in the West Philippine Sea could decrease in the coming months as many may return to the mainland due to bad weather.
Navy spokesperson Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad on Tuesday said the presence of the CMM is “dictated” by several factors like weather.
“The weather affects all players and claimant countries, not only China, Vietnam and the Philippines,” Trinidad said in a regular press conference when asked if there is an expected decrease of vessels due to the rainy weather.
READ: Chinese warships presence in West Philippine Sea doubles
Trinidad said 108 CMM vessels were observed in several maritime features in the West Philippine Sea from June 4 to June 10.
The looming La Niña weather phenomenon sees the eastern Pacific Ocean cool for a period of about one to three years, causing rains and strong waves in the waters off Southeast Asia.
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