The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported that 54 Chinese vessels were monitored across various areas of the West Philippine Sea between October 20 and 26, marking an increase from the 31 vessels recorded the previous week. Retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the AFP’s special spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, stated during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday that this count is separate from a Chinese aircraft carrier strike group recently observed off the coast of Mindanao. According to Trinidad, the carrier group—which typically includes destroyers, air-defense assets, and replenishment ships—included the aircraft carrier Liaoning. The group traveled along the country’s western seaboard before exiting through the southern border. Trinidad stated that the passage of the carrier group is “not a cause for alarm,” noting that it is part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s periodic, twice-yearly training exercises. He added that while the group came within 15 miles of the Philippine landmass, the AFP maintains constant maritime domain awareness. The 54 vessels monitored during the week included assets from the PLA Navy and the China Coast Guard. The breakdown of the sightings is as follows: seven PLA Navy and seven China Coast Guard vessels at Ayungin Shoal; six PLA Navy and 11 China Coast Guard vessels at Bajo de Masinloc; five PLA Navy and two China Coast Guard vessels at Escoda Shoal; and four PLA Navy and 12 China Coast Guard vessels near the Pag-asa Islands. Regarding the vessels’ failure to respond to radio challenges, Trinidad noted that this is not uncommon. He stated that the AFP challenges approximately 16,000 maritime assets each month, and roughly 3,000 of those do not respond. “The aircraft carrier Liaoning did not respond to our challenge, they are not the only one who does not respond,” Trinidad said. He added that the incident provided an opportunity for the Philippine military to test its systems and procedures for tracking high-value assets navigating through the country’s maritime domain.
Article source: The Daily Tribune | Image credit: The Daily Tribune