PH Navy logs largest Chinese ship presence in West Philippine Sea

This handout photo taken on December 2, 2023 and released on December 3 by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows an aerial view of Chinese vessels gathered by Whitsun Reef, around 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Palawan Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy has logged the biggest-ever presence of Chinese ships and warships in the West Philippine Sea since it began publishing its weekly tallies.

A total of 203 ships of China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia (CMM) as well as Chinese warships were recorded from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, according to Navy data released on Tuesday.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told INQUIRER.net: “This is the highest we have recorded in the vicinity of our nine occupied features in the West Philippine Sea for this year.”

READ: PH vessels rammed, harassed by China anew in West Philippine Sea – Malaya

“Nevertheless, the increase in numbers will not justify their illegal presence, their coercive and aggressive actions and their deceptive narratives,” Trinidad further said.

Trinidad said the amount of China’s deployment is “not normal.”

However, he noted that “it is within the range of the capability they could project” in the West Philippine Sea.

Before this, the previous record of the Philippine Navy showed the highest number of 163 Chinese vessels from August 20 to 26.

Trinidad attributed the uptick in Chinese ships to a significant increase in deployments at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, where the number of Chinese vessels rose from 53 during the August 20-26 period to 71 between August 27 and September 2.

This increase in numbers comes amid the mounting tensions between the CCG and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in the area.

The situation intensified on Aug. 19, when BRP Cape Engaño and BRP Bacagay were subjected to aggressive maneuvers by CCG vessels while traversing the waters off the shoal, damaging both ships.

READ: China ships ram, blast water at BFAR vessel

On Aug. 25 CCG vessels blasted water cannons against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel there.

Then on Aug. 26, Chinese vessels prevented BRP Cabra and BRP Cape Engaño from resupplying BRP Teresa Magbanua, prompting the latter to run on critical supply.

The military resorted to helicopters to deliver supplies, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.

Before such incidents, the PCG did not have difficulties sending supplies to BRP Teresa Magbanua, according to the spokesperson for West Philippine Sea matters, Commodore Jay Tarriela.

BRP Teresa Magbanua, sent to guard Escoda Shoal since April 16 due to suspected reclamation activities in the area, is now the longest-deployed asset in the West Philippine Sea.

On the other hand, SeaLight director Ray Powell reported on Tuesday that several CMM vessels retreated to China due to Tropical Storm Enteng.

READ: West Philippine Sea: Chinese militia ships flee Panatag as Enteng nears

Enteng, which reportedly killed 13 people so far, is forecast to head towards the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday before intensifying into a typhoon on Thursday, according to state meteorologists.

Beijing asserts sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea—including most of the western section of Manila’s exclusive economic zone—even if such a claim has been effectively invalidated by the arbitral award issued in July 2016.

The landmark ruling stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013 or a year after its standoff with Beijing at Panatag Shoal.