Chinese ships swarming WPS rise to 207: PH Navy

West Philippine Sea (WPS) (Photo: Western Command Armed Forces of the Philippines/Facebook)

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The number of Chinese ships spotted in features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) continues to rise, the Philippine Navy (PN) said Tuesday.

The PN’s latest monitoring report showed 207 Chinese vessels were spotted in these areas from Sept. 3 to 9, a slight increase from 203 recorded from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2.

Out of this number, 182 are Chinese maritime militia vessels (CMMVs), marking a sharp rise from 165 during the Aug. 27 to Sept. 2 monitoring period.

Also spotted during the Sept. 3-9 period were 18 China Coast Guard Vessels (CCGVs), six People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships, and one Chinese Research and Survey Vessel (CRSV).

The bulk of Chinese ships in the WPS are in the vicinity of the Sabina Shoal, where the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) stands watch.

A total of 68 Chinese vessels were seen in this area – 55 CMMVs, eight CCGVs, and five PLAN warships.

This was followed by the Iroquois Reef with 59 Chinese vessels – 58 CMMVs and one PLAN ship.

Another 50 Chinese vessels were seen in Pag-asa Islands – 49 CMMVs and one CCGV – while 13 ships were seen in Bajo de Masinloc – 12 CMMVs and one CCGV.

Meanwhile, 10 vessels were spotted in the Ayungin Shoal – eight CCGVs and two CMMVs – followed by Lawak Island with four CMMVs, Likas Island with one CMMV, Panata Island with one CMMV, and Rizal Reef with one CRSV.

Highest so far

PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said this number of Chinese vessel sightings is the highest so far for this year.

“A lot of the (Chinese) maritime militia are focused on Escoda or Sabina Shoal. Sabina and Escoda have been under our attention for the past good number of months because of the reported increase of crushed corals and 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.

Also, Trinidad said that the number of Chinese ships deployed so far in the WPS is within the “force projection capability of South Sea Fleet, the CCG, and the maritime militia.”

“Open sources will tell us that the South Sea Fleet is composed of roughly 80 to 90 ships and submarines. The (China) Coast Guard from 25 to 35, for the maritime militia, we have monitored in the past numbers as high as 250 to 300. These are stationed in their bases, Johnson, Subi, and or Mischief. But what they bring into our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) limits is what we monitor and report,” he added.

Trinidad said what can be considered abnormal for China is if it decides to bring in units from other theaters of the PLA.

“So long as these are the forces within theater and they don’t bring in other forces from the East Sea Fleet or the North Sea Fleet, then this is still within the normal range of their capability,” he added.