MANILA, Philippines – China is crowding Philippine waters with "a lot" of military vessels disguised as fishing boats and Coast Guard vessels, Manila's defense chief said Tuesday, November 19, as his US counterpart made a high-stakes visit to Palawan — an island on the frontline of the country's maritime conflict with Beijing.
This is as Beijing has increasingly intensified its efforts to deny the Philippines access to its exclusive economic zone, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said.
"They have been more aggressive in denying us access to our exclusive economic zone in the western Philippines. They have really placed a lot of these pseudo-military vessels disguised as Coast Guard vessels and maritime militia vessels in the areas west of the Philippine Sea," he said at a press conference.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking alongside Teodoro at Western Command headquarters in Puerto Princesa, said he "absolutely agrees" with Teodoro's assessment.
"The behavior of the [People's Republic of China] has been concerning. You've heard me say that a number of times. They've used dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce their expansive South China Sea maritime claims," he said.
China's gray-zone force. China's maritime militia, often called its "gray-zone" force, has become Beijing's preferred tool for asserting its claims in disputed waters. These vessels appear to be ordinary fishing boats but are actually equipped and trained to support Chinese military operations.
They maintain a constant presence in contested areas, harassing Philippine vessels and blocking access to traditional fishing grounds, all while providing Beijing with plausible deniability since they operate under civilian cover.
Austin reiterated that the US' commitment to its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines remains ironclad. "This is concerning behavior. We made this point to the Chinese counterpart."
Both officials' candor about China's tactics came as the long-time allies unveiled new military cooperation initiatives on Tuesday. This includes the US' delivery of unmanned vessels under a $500 million security assistance package aimed at beefing up Manila's maritime defense capabilities.
"We expect to see many more vessels like this delivered in the final two days of the hour to help ensure that the Philippines has the capabilities it needs to defend its rights and its sovereignty throughout its exclusive economic zone," Austin said after watching a demonstration of the unmanned vessel's capabilities.
China on US-Philippines' new pact. At the press conference, Teodoro also noted how China's aggressive tactics extend beyond the seas, pointing to Beijing's swift reaction to a new Philippines-US military information sharing pact.
"If you weren't paranoid, you wouldn't comment about it, so far as I'm concerned, because it is something bilateral between the United States and the Philippines," he said.
Teodoro was referring to the General Secrecy of Military Information Agreement, which China, through its foreign affairs ministry spokesperson, commented on during a press conference on the same day it was signed.
Without naming the US or the Philippines, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian warned: "No military agreement, or defense and security cooperation, in whatever form, should target any third party or harm the interests of any third party."
No copy of the agreement has been dislosed to the public. A press release by the Department of National Defense says it will allow the Philippines and the US mutual access to classified military information. It may also opens opportunities for the Philippines to forge similar agreements with other "like-minded" nations.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during Austin's courtesy call to Malacanang on Monday that the agreement marked an important step for the continued interoperability of Philippine and US military forces.
The US' commitment to the Philippines comes months before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Alliance across administrations. This marks Austin's fourth visit to the Philippines and his last before the US sees its leadership change by January. He is the second-highest US official to visit Palawan, after Vice President Kamala Harris in November 2022.
When asked about US support potentially shifting under Donald Trump, Austin emphasized the alliance's durability across administrations. "I believe that this will remain an important country to us for many, many years in the future. And the strength of our alliance, I think, will transcend changes of administration going forward."
It also comes amid mounting tensions between Manila and Beijing in the disputed waters.
Under Austin's tenure as US defense chief, the Philippines opened four additional bases for US troops to operate from under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement in 2023. Three are in Luzon facing Taiwan, while one is in Palawan.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct what Teodoro said about the increase in Chinese vessels disguised as Coast Guard vessels, not post-war vessels.