South China Sea: ‘upsurge’ in Chinese militia vessels as Balikatan drills begin ‘out of the norm’, Philippines says

The Philippine Navy says 124 Chinese vessels have been detected in the West Philippine Sea since the military drills began on Monday

Motivations for the move may include underscoring Beijing’s de facto control of the disputed waters and disrupting Balikatan activities, analysts note

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A Chinese vessel, identified as part of China’s maritime militia, is seen at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 23. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

Published: 10:30am, 24 Apr 2024Updated: 12:44pm, 24 Apr 2024

The Philippines has observed an “upsurge” in Chinese maritime militia vessels sailing the South China Sea as its Balikatan joint military exercises with the US got under way this week, a move analysts say is likely meant to underscore China’s commanding footprint in the disputed waters.

Philippine Navy Commodore Roy Trinidad said on Tuesday that 124 Chinese vessels of various types had been detected in the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s term for the section of the South China Sea that defines its maritime territory and includes its exclusive economic zone – since Monday, compared to an average of 60 per week in the two months prior.

“This upsurge is out of the norm. This coincided with the launching of the Balikatan,” Trinidad said.

The 124 vessels included three from the Chinese navy and 11 from its coastguard, Trinidad said. But the biggest increase was detected in the number of maritime militia vessels, which rose from a low of 50 over the previous two weeks to 110 this week.

“So there is a surge in the presence of maritime militia specifically in Bajo de Masinloc and Pag-asa,” he said, referring to the Filipino names for Scarborough Shoal and Thitu Island, respectively. Both are located in the South China Sea.

This year’s edition of the Balikatan drills kicked off on Monday, involving more than 16,000 troops from the US and 5,000 from the Philippines, as well as Australian and French armed forces.