Over 200 Chinese maritime assets near PH-occupied islands in WPS raise alarm

From the Palawan News (Jul 10, 2023): Over 200 Chinese maritime assets near PH-occupied islands in WPS raise alarm (By Gerald Ticke)

Chinese militia vessels swarming Philippine-claimed features in the West Philippine Sea. (Photo from the Western Command)

The Western Command is alarmed by the sudden surge in the number of China’s maritime assets near the features that the country is occupying in the West Philippine Sea, surpassing a staggering count of 200 in an exceptionally short period of time.

Commander Ariel Joseph Coloma, spokesperson of the Western Command (WESCOM), said Saturday that during an aerial surveillance conducted on July 3, over 200 Chinese civilian and military vessels were observed lingering in the area.

This represents a significant escalation from the previous sightings on June 30, which WESCOM reported to be a swarm of 48 Chinese militia vessels near Iroquois Reef, located south of the resource-rich Recto Bank.

“We are monitoring more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels and maritime law enforcement platforms right now,” Coloma said in a media interview on Sunday.

“They are scattered in different areas, including those reported that were first monitored near Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal,” he added.

These recent observations validate earlier intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance flights conducted in the area, confirming a growing trend of Chinese fishing vessels with their number increasing from only 12 in February to 47 as of June 12.

WESCOM said while the ships were identified as fishing vessels anchored in groups of seven, no fishing activity were observed and they simply loitered near Philippine-occupied islands.

“Of course, as part of the military force in the western frontier, we are also concerned, we are alarmed by the [sudden] increase, sa pagdami of Chinese fishing vessels and their maritime law enforcement platforms in WPS. Let us all remember that this is our territorial waters, this is part of our EEZ (Exclusive Econimic Zone), our territory, and we have sovereign rights over these areas—we should be the ones benefiting from it,” Coloma explained.

“But what we are seeing is that they are the ones who are present in the area that’s why it’s really very alarming, especially for us here in WESCOM,” he lamented.

Coloma also said that they have already submitted reports of the recent developments to their higher headquarters and are waiting for further instructions.

“We are just on standby for other measures that will be [given] by the national leadership, one of which is this will form part ng ating filing of democratic protest,” he said, adding that they are always ready whatever the national government would order them to do.

Right now, he said they are continuously monitoring the movements of the Chinese vessels.

“Our ships are conducting monitoring and sovereignty patrols round the clock to also assert our presence there. That’s why we are also asking for additional assets so that we can expand our presence in the area, he said.

He further explained that the issue over the disputed region should be settled through peaceful means, “WESCOM will not back down in our mandate in protecting WPS.”

“The president is very clear, we will not lose a single inch of our territory so our AFP WESCOM will stand by our mandate,” he said.

https://palawan-news.com/over-200-chinese-maritime-assets-near-ph-occupied-islands-in-wps-raise-alarm/