3-9-2024 (MANILA) The Philippines has sounded the alarm over an unprecedented surge in Chinese naval activity within the contested waters of the South China Sea, fueling concerns that Beijing’s projection of maritime power in the region could ignite renewed tensions with Manila.
According to the Philippine Navy, a staggering 203 Chinese vessels were spotted near nine Philippine outposts and other strategic areas in the hotly disputed waterway over the past seven days. This figure eclipses the previous week’s tally of 163 ships, marking the highest number of Chinese maritime forces observed in the region this year.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy’s spokesperson, attributed the alarming uptick to the recent international spotlight on Sabina Shoal, a submerged reef long claimed by both nations. However, the increased Chinese presence was not confined to this solitary flashpoint, with the Navy also reporting heightened activity around the Pag-asa Islands and Iroquois Reef.
“The increase in numbers will not justify their illegal presence,” Trinidad asserted defiantly, underscoring the Philippine government’s unwavering stance on Beijing’s maritime claims, which encompass nearly the entire South China Sea.
The latest escalation comes in the wake of a fresh collision between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels near Sabina Shoal over the weekend, a stark reminder that the long-simmering maritime dispute has opened a new front in the region’s geopolitical tug-of-war.
