19 Chinese warships seen inside Philippine maritime zones
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy monitored 19 different Chinese warships across various maritime zones of the country in November, according to a statement on Tuesday, December 2.
The 19 People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy vessels were among thousands of vessels that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) monitored passing through the country's waters, said Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea.
The AFP did not specify in which specific maritime zones the Chinese warships were seen.
From November 1 to 30, the Navy tracked a total of 14,972 vessels across the entire archipelago, including 12,450 foreign vessels and 2,522 domestic ones, Trinidad said.
Of the vessels monitored, 13,190 responded to radio challenges while 1,781 did not.
Vessel activity remained highest up north with 6,898 vessels, followed by the south with 5,120, the west with 2,259, and the east with 695.
The monitoring, Trinidad said, shows the Navy's "continuous maritime domain awareness, presence operations, and commitment to safeguarding territory, sovereignty and sovereign rights."
PLA Navy vessels are constantly seen meandering inside the Philippines' EEZ, particularly near features of the West Philippine Sea that China claims as theirs.
In February, three PLA Navy vessels got close enough to enter the Philippines' archipelagic waters (internal waters of the country) and showed "irregular behavior," according to the AFP.
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