Navy monitors 9 Chinese vessels, including carrier, near PH waters

The Philippine Navy monitored nine Chinese vessels, including the aircraft carrier Shandong (CV-17), six escort warships, and two support vessels, operating near the Philippines earlier this week.

The carrier ship was detected as close as 3 nautical miles southwest of Babuyan Islands, a distance permissible under innocent passage.

A separate Chinese Type 815 surveillance ship was also tracked sailing about 33 nautical miles northwest of Dalupiri Island.

Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad described the passage as unusual and noted their closest recorded approach to Philippine shores.

Naval forces deployed assets to monitor the ships and challenged their presence, though the warships were en route to an unknown destination and passed through Philippine waters without stopping.

Their presence was noted amid the ongoing Philippines-United States Balikatan Exercises.