At least 83 Chinese militia and fishing vessels were observed near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Wednesday, according to an expert tracking the presence of Chinese ships in the region.
“Marine Traffic confirms at least 83 China militia & fishing ships within Philippines Thitu (Pag-Asa) Island’s territorial sea right now,” stated former US Air Force official and ex-defense attaché Ray Powell on X (formerly Twitter).
On Tuesday, Powell reported that up to 75 Chinese ships were seen off Pag-asa Island, describing it as “by far the largest China vessel swarm I’ve ever seen” in the area.
“By far the largest China vessel swarm I’ve ever seen off Philippine Thitu (Pag-Asa) Island. Despite clouds, I count at least 73-75 ships sitting 2.5-5.5 nautical miles from Philippines-held island—well within its 12 nautical miles territorial sea.”
Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, indicated that Powell’s earlier figure of 75 Chinese ships near Pag-asa Island would be “fairly accurate,” given that this WPS feature is close to Subi Reef, which is already militarized by Beijing.
“Our monitoring would show us those numbers because Subi Reef is within the territorial sea of Pag-asa, so those numbers would be fairly accurate. It is close to Pag-asa when you exit Subi,” Trinidad explained.
The Philippine Navy has stated that Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) continue to pose a significant threat due to the ongoing presence of the maritime militia, People’s Liberation Army Navy, and Coast Guard.
Despite this situation, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will persist in protecting the WPS.
Tensions with China remain high due to competing claims over the South China Sea, which is vital for global trade.
In June, the Philippines requested the United Nations to extend its territorial boundaries in these disputed waters, citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
