Over 50 Chinese ships, fishing boats spotted in West Philippine Sea

Chinese militia vessels operate at Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea, December 2, 2023. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — Over 50 Chinese ships and fishing boats were spotted in the West Philippine Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.

As of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, there were seven China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and 47 Chinese maritime militia (CMM) as well as small fishing boats in the western section of the country’s exclusive economic zone, according to AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla.

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These are the West Philippine Sea maritime features where Chinese vessels were detected:

• Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal: 5 CCG vessels, 18 CMM and 10 Chinese small boats
  Ayungin Shoal: 1 CCG boat and 6 small boats
  Pagasa Island: 1 CCG boat and 6 fishing boats

As for the others, Padilla said  “there are no significant sightings in the West Philippine Sea’s other features.”

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The other maritime features in the West Philippine Sea are  Parola Island, Likas Island, Lawak Island, Rizal Reef and Kota Island, and Sabina Shoal.

China’s presence is based on its assertion of ownership to the entire South China Sea, which includes most of the West Philippine Sea, a claim that was effectively dismissed by a 2016 international ruling.