The Philippine Navy has confirmed that 49 Chinese vessels were monitored across key features of the West Philippine Sea in June—marking the highest monthly count so far this year.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy’s spokesperson for West Philippine Sea matters, said the sightings included 9 China Coast Guard (CCG) and 14 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships near Bajo de Masinloc, 12 CCG and 2 PLAN ships near Ayungin Shoal, and 9 CCG and 3 PLAN ships near Pag-asa Island.
“These 49 ships were not there all the time, but they were in and out of the different features,” Trinidad explained in an ABS-CBN News report.
According to the Navy, this figure is a significant jump from previous months—just 11 Chinese vessels were spotted in January, 9 in February, 35 in March, 31 in April, and 41 in May.
Trinidad said the spike may be due to changing weather conditions or regular deployment cycles, though no direct tactical implication has been determined. “Probably it will be a factor of the weather or the deployment cycle, maintenance and repair,” he added.
Overall, 15,305 vessels were tracked in Philippine waters in June, including 2,954 domestic and 12,302 international ships.
