Philippine Navy reports decline in PLA Navy coercive actions during joint exercises

The Philippine Navy reported a significant decline in coercive actions by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy during recent maritime exercises involving allies and partner nations in the West Philippine Sea.

During a press briefing on Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad of the Philippine Navy said that multilateral or bilateral maritime cooperative activities have led to reduced illegal actions by the PLA Navy, noting that Chinese vessels did not intercept joint patrols between the Philippines and France last week.

The latest joint maritime exercise with France on February 21 saw no Chinese vessels near the drill area, highlighting the effectiveness of such collaborative efforts.

Rear Admiral Trinidad emphasized that while they cannot control the PLA Navy's movements, these exercises signify strengthened relationships between nations and signal a readiness for future cooperative activities.

Japan also pledged to assist the Philippines in bolstering its maritime capabilities during a visit by Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen to Manila on Monday.