41 China warships, Coast Guard vessels spotted in WPS in May 2025

A total of 41 Chinese warships and China Coast Guard vessels were monitored over some features in the West Philippine Sea in May 2025, according to the Philippine Navy on Tuesday.

In an update, the Philippine Navy said the following Chinese ships have been monitored in different WPS features from May 1 to 31:

• Bajo de Masinloc - 15 CCG vessels, 11 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships
• Ayungin Shoal - six CCG vessels, one PLAN ship
• Pagasa Island - four CCG vessels, four PLAN ships

In the same period, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spotted 15,765 vessels across the archipelago. Of which, 12,608 were foreign vessels.

The AFP said a total of 1,349 vessels did not respond to radio challenges. 

“The majority of these incidents were recorded in Pagasa (665 vessels), Tubbataha (184 vessels), and Ayungin Shoal (125 vessels) —areas of high interest due to their proximity to other maritime zones,” the AFP said.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. —AOL, GMA Integrated News