China appears to be shifting its maritime presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) toward coast guard and research operations, with the Philippines monitoring fewer Chinese navy and maritime militia vessels and more China Coast Guard (CCG) and research vessels in the first half of 2026, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Tuesday.
The Philippine Navy monitored 77 different CCG vessels from January to June, up from 68 during the same period last year, AFP spokesperson for the WPS, retired Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, said at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
On the other hand, the number of different Chinese navy vessels monitored during the period fell to 78 from 100. There were also fewer maritime militia vessels, from 999 to 850.
Trinidad said the increase in CCG vessels suggested a greater emphasis on maritime law enforcement in the West Philippine Sea.
The AFP also monitored more research and survey vessels, with 44 different ships recorded in the first half of 2026, up from 33 during the same period last year.
“Of those numbers, 16 had erratic tracks that would indicate the conduct of survey and research activities covering the West Philippine Sea, our northern passage, Bashi Channel, Balintang Channel, all the way up to Benham Rise,” Trinidad said.
From Aug. 11 to Aug. 17, the AFP recorded 23 Chinese vessels in three key Philippine features in the West Philippine Sea: Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal and Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, according to its latest weekly monitoring.
Cause still unknown
The vessels included 20 CCG ships and three Chinese navy vessels. Eleven CCG vessels were monitored at Ayungin Shoal, a low-tide elevation about 194 kilometers west of Palawan where the Philippines maintains the grounded BRP Sierra Madre as a military outpost.
Trinidad said the AFP could not determine what specifically caused the decline in Chinese navy and maritime militia vessels.
The military, however, uses changes in Chinese deployments to help determine where to position its ships and aircraft.
“We monitor these numbers to give us an inclination of the direction that would help us project our deployment of forces,” Trinidad said. INQ
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