MANILA, Philippines — Chinese naval drills were monitored near Bajo de Masinloc on July 31 and during the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) anniversary on Aug. 1, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed Tuesday.
“After numerous false narratives by the Chinese Communist Party of conducting drills in Bajo de Masinloc, the AFP was able to monitor last 31 July and 1 August, the conduct of drills by the PLA Navy,” AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday.
He added that the identified Chinese maritime and military assets consisted of five PLA Navy warships, one replenishment ship, two hovercraft, two helicopters, and an unidentified number of fighter aircraft during the said dates.
READ: Philippines deposits Bajo de Masinloc nautical chart with UN
Earlier, the PLA’s Southern Theater Command announced that it had conducted naval and air exercises involving a large Chinese bomber aircraft within Bajo de Masinloc, located 124 nautical miles from the coastal waters of Zambales and about 427 nautical miles from Hainan, China.
National Maritime Council spokesperson Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, however, disputed China’s claim, saying the report that the PLA conducted maritime drills was “deemed not credible.”
Trinidad also confirmed the presence of Chinese maritime militia and coast guard vessels during the AFP’s 17th multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) within Philippine waters last July, although he said they did not cause any disturbance during the activity.
“There (Chinese vessels) was presence monitored over the horizon, but they didn’t in any way interfere with the conduct of the MMCA,” he said.
In total, the AFP monitored 48 Chinese coast guard and navy vessels in the WPS in July, Trinidad reported.
READ: AFP monitors 48 chinese vessels in West PH sea in July
During the MMCA, Trinidad said the US’s George Washington carrier strike group, consisting of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, a naval destroyer, and submarine support, and a Japanese warship joined the joint maritime activity.
“The message to the entire world, not to any particular country, is that the Philippines is not alone in its stand of supporting international law. Our modernization program is on track. We could now plug and play with modern militaries, and activities like this will continue in the near future,” Trinidad said. /mcm
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