AFP debunks alleged Chinese military drills in Bajo de Masinloc

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday denied reports of coordinated military drills by China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) and China Coast Guard (CCG) near Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea.

“The AFP has monitored the reported presence of PLA Navy and CCG vessels in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc. Our coordinated maritime domain awareness confirms that their claims of coordinated military drills are completely unfounded,” AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a statement.

In a report by Reuters, China’s military and coast guard conducted patrols near disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea on Sunday.

The move followed statements from Manila on Saturday asserting that the Philippines continues to face a threat from China despite the recent easing of US-China relations.

The AFP, however, said it did not observe any organized movement among the Chinese vessels it monitored.

“What our forces actually observed on the ground was merely a scattered presence of Chinese vessels operating independently. There was absolutely no observed organized movement, tactical maneuvers, or joint formations involving their ships or aircraft that would constitute a military exercise,” Trinidad said.

The AFP added that it remains vigilant in monitoring the country’s maritime domain and cautioned against unverified narratives.

“The AFP remains vigilant and steadfast in monitoring our maritime domain. We advise the public against taking these propaganda narratives at face value,” he said.

Meanwhile, Philippine and US forces conducted a bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity in the same waters of Bajo de Masinloc aimed at strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries.

PH, US troops boost interoperability in joint maritime drills

Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal, lies 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales.

It falls within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, rejecting China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea as having “no legal basis.” China has not recognized the ruling.—MCG, GMA News