More Chinese militia ships spotted around Ayungin Shoal – PH Navy

The BRP Sierra Madre, a Navy warship that now serves as military outpost, keeps watch over Ayungin (Second Thomas), located within the country’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. Nearby are Chinese coast guard and militia vessels in this shot taken on February 21, 2023, during an aerial surveillance by the Philippine Coast Guard. (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Niño Jesus Orbeta)

MANILA, Philippines — There is a surge of Chinese maritime militia (CMM) ships in the vicinity of Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, according to Philippine Navy data shared to reporters on Tuesday.

The navy said a total of 41 CMM vessels were spotted in. the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal from Aug. 13 to 19. 

Previously, there were only six CMM vessels spotted from August 6 to 12.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, declined to speculate on the surge of vessels in the shoal’s vicinity. 

“I don’t want to speculate about their presence in Ayungin Shoal,” Trinidad said in a regular press conference when asked about the reason behind the surge of vessels in Ayungin.

A naval outpost has been grounded in Ayungin Shoal since 1999. 

The resupply activity to the BRP Sierra Madre has become one of the flashpoints of tensions between Manila and Beijing, the most violent of which occurred last June 17, which led to what the military deem as “looting” of seven firearms, destruction of two navy boats, and resulting in one navy personnel losing his finger.

The 41 CMM vessels in Ayungin Shoal are among the 129 Chinese ships monitored in the West Philippine Sea features from Aug. 13 to 19.

Of the 129, a total of 98 are CMM vessels, 18 are China Coast Guard (CCG) ships, while 13 are People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) warships.

This is a big increase compared to 92 Chinese ships recorded on Aug. 6 to 12.

Trinidad said “the 129 total [Chinese ships] is still within the acceptable range that we have been monitoring for the past two to three months.”

The most number of Chinese vessels recorded so far was from the May 14 to 20 period, when a total of 153 Chinese ships were spotted.

The surge of Chinese ships that time was due to the civilian resupply mission in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal which ran from May 15 to 17, as CCG deployed a large number of vessels off the shoal in anticipation of the convoy.

Beijing’s actions are based on its assertion of sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, as it continues to reject a July 2016 Arbitral Award which effectively dismissed its claims while ruling in favor of Manila.

This landmark ruling stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013, or a year after its tense standoff with Beijing over Panatag  Shoal, whose lagoon the latter now has an effective control of.