West Philippine Sea: Chinese Navy inexperienced in war – PH Navy spox

WPS COMPOSITE IMAGE from Inquirer, AFP, Reuters file photos

MANILA, Philippines — Following the deployment of a Chinese aircraft carrier in the Philippine Sea, an official of the Philippine Navy on Sunday said China’s Navy lacks experience in war.

Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea, even compared the Asian Superpower to the United States, which he claimed still encounters issues even with “seven or eight decades” of experience in war.

READ: ‘Concerning’: AFP confirms presence of China aircraft carrier in Philippine Sea

“Ito sa PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy hindi pa nasubok sa giyera ito and yet kung mag-aaasta sila akala mo talagang ano, so sinabi ko sa ating mga kababayan marami pa silang kakaining bigas. Bagamat advance sila sa atin pero matagal pa bago nila maabot ang operational level ng aircraft carriers nila,” Trinidad said in an interview over DZBB.

(The PLA Navy has not yet been tested in war and they act as if they are something. So I told our compatriots that the PLA Navy are still inexperienced. Although they are more advanced than us, it will be a long time before they reach the operational level of their aircraft carriers.)

Trinidad also explained China’s “doctrine” and why they act that way in the region.

“Mas maintindihan natin ‘yung galaw ng China kapag alam natin ang pag-iisip nila patungkol sa giyera. Ang kanilang mga doctrine, number one, kapag malakas ka ipakita mo mahina ka; number two, kapag mahina ka ipakita mo malakas ka, mag-ingay ka,” he said.

(We can better understand China’s moves if we know their thinking about war. Their doctrines are number one, if you are strong, show you are weak; number two, if you are weak, show you are strong, say it.)

“Itong ginagawa nila sa Shandong at sa kabuuan ng South China Sea and West Philippine Sea maingay sila, pinapakitang malakas sila pero ang totoo niyan ang kanilang mga aircraft carrier dekada pa ang kailangan para ma-perfect nila ang naval warfare sa paggamit ng aircraft carrier,” he added.

(In Shandong and throughout the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea, they are loud and they show that they are strong, but the truth about their aircraft carriers is that they need decades to perfect naval warfare using aircraft carriers.)

Last July 10, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla described the deployment of a Chinese carrier strike group in the Philippine Sea as “concerning.”

Prior to this, Japan’s Joint Staff Office said that according to a United States Naval Institute report, the PLA-N Shandong’s carrier strike group operated in the Philippine Sea as part of annual drills conducted by China and Russia. The report on the bilateral drills was later confirmed by AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad.