Philippine Navy reports largest Chinese ship presence in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — At least 207 Chinese vessels were spotted crowding the West Philippine Sea last week, breaking the previous week's record-high even after a powerful storm swept through the area.

According to the Philippine Navy's monitoring from September 3 to 9, which an official presented on Tuesday, September 10, four more Chinese vessels were spotted in the nine features of the West Philippine Sea compared to the previous week. The increase marks China's largest show of force in the disputed waters this year.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, noted that around 68 or a third of the Chinese vessels were concentrated near or within Escoda (Sabina) Shoal  a feature 75 nautical miles from Palawan and deep within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

"The numbers do no mean there is something suspicious," Trinidad said. 

"In the first place, even only one ship, their presence is already illegal within the exclusive economic zone. It just so happens that because of our extra attention giuven to Sabina Shoal, the maritime militia numbers have also increased focusing on Sabina Shoal," he added.

Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed at Escoda Shoal since April amid reports of Chinese reclamation activities in the area. Beijing has called on the Philippines to remove the vessel, saying its presence is an affront to its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
 
"Sabina and Escoda have been under our attention for the past good number of months because of the reported increase of crushed corals... We have to determine if this is man-made or by force of nature. Hence, the extra patrols given by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources," Trinidad said.

The number of Chinese ships deployed so far in the West Philippine Sea, which is part of the broader South China Sea, is within the "force projection capability of South Sea Fleet, the CCG, and the maritime militia," the Navy official added.

Super Typhoon Yagi (formerly Tropical Storm Enteng), believed to be Asia's strongest storm this year, landed in China's Hainan province on September 6 after passing through the northern part of the Philippines, where it left 16 people dead.

Beijing, through a state-run newspaper, urged the Philippines on Monday, September 9, to "seriously consider the future of China-Philippines relations and work with China to push bilateral relations back on track."

In 2016, a tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dismissed China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including parts referred to as the West Philippine Sea. 

China rejects the ruling and, over the years, has stepped up efforts to assert its "rights" by sending dozens of coast guard and maritime militia vessels to the disputed waters.