AFP spots 36 Chinese vessels around key features in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday that it monitored a total of 36 Chinese vessels at key features in the West Philippine Sea this week, more than the 27 ships monitored last week.

AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinindad, who now serves as a reservist, said the ships were tracked from May 19 to May 25 across four areas: Panatag Shoal, Ayungin Shoal, Escoda Shoal, and Pag-asa Island.

Most of the vessels were present in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, with 19 vessels— 10 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships and nine Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels.

The shoal is about 220 kilometers from Luzon in the West Philippine Sea, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

It has remained under Chinese control since a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy.

Eight CCG vessels and one PLAN warship were spotted near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. The low-tide elevation is located 194 kilometers off Palawan.

Escoda (Sabina) Shoal saw five vessels—three CCG vessels and two PLAN warships. It lies about 195 kilometers west of Palawan.

Three vessels were also monitored around Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, composed of two PLAN ships and 1 CCG vessel. The island is about 528 kiloemters west of Palawan.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, waters in the western portion of the country’s 370-kilometer EEZ.

Beijing continues to ignore a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that nullified its claims and upheld Manila’s sovereign rights over these waters. /gsg