The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said that a total of 49 Chinese ships were observed in Philippine waters in June, the most out of any month this year so far.
According to Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, an average of 29 Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy vessels were observed monthly across key areas, including Bajo de Masinloc, Ayungin Shoal, and Pag-asa Island.
“Regardless of these numbers, the Philippine Navy remains fully on top of the situation, demonstrating continued heightened vigilance and sustained presence in our maritime domain,” the AFP said.
Asked about what the deployment number indicates, Trinidad said: “We have to look at it from the perspective of probably the weather or the deployment cycle.”
A total of 15,305 vessels have also been monitored by the military, 2,954 of which were domestic traffic and 12,302 were international vessels.
“With strengthened maritime domain awareness and inter-agency coordination, your AFP assures the public of its continued commitment to asserting the nation’s rights and maintaining peace and stability in the region,” the AFP concluded.
