The Philippine Navy spotted a surge of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson of the Philippine Navy, said that 124 Chinese ships, including three People’s Liberation Army-Navy warships, 11 Chinese Coast Guard ships, and Chinese maritime militia vessels, roamed the West Philippine Sea from April 16 to April 22.
Trinidad mentioned that the Philippine Navy normally monitors an average of 60 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
"Our monitoring for the past two months, for March and April, has given us a very constant, from a low of 33 to as high as 69, on an average of around 60 various vessels of China," Trinidad said.
Trinidad mentioned that the surge of Chinese vessels in the disputed territory coincides with the 2024 Balikatan exercises between the Philippines and the United States.
A total of 16,000 troops of the United Stats and the Philippines participate in the three-week long military exercises that began on Monday, April 22, and will run until May 10.
