Manila Bulletin
PH Navy slams China’s naval drill off Escoda Shoal
The Philippine Navy has strongly condemned the recent military exercises conducted by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Sabina Shoal, located within the West Philippine Sea.
Philippine Navy spokesperson Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad stated that the PLA conducted exercises involving hovercraft and aircraft, including sea maneuvers, on consecutive days.
Trinidad emphasized that China has no right to conduct such activities within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, as it is unauthorized under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The number of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea has reportedly increased to 125, up from 112 the previous week.
The Philippine Coast Guard recently deployed a vessel to Sabina Shoal following accusations that China is constructing an artificial island in the area.
Sabina Shoal is a crucial rendezvous point for resupply missions intended for Filipino troops stationed on the grounded vessel BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.
China asserts claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, which significantly impacts international maritime trade and overlaps with the claims of several neighboring countries, including the Philippines.
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The Philippines has protested China's unilateral fishing ban in the South China Sea, asserting it violates international law and undermines Philippine sovereignty and maritime rights.
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The Philippines "does not and will never need" to inform China of its maritime activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), according to the National Security Council (NSC).
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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) dismissed China's claim that Filipino troops destroyed and seized Chinese fishing nets in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as a "malign influence" tactic.
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Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo questioned China's demand for prior notification of Philippine activities in the West Philippine Sea.
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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denies China's claim that its personnel aboard the BRP Sierra Madre pointed their guns at the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG).
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