Manila says it has tracked the highest number of Chinese ships this year within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Between September 17 and Monday, 251 Chinese vessels were monitored operating within the zone, known in the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea, according to the Philippine armed forces. The vessels include those belonging to the Chinese Navy, the so-called Maritime Militia, and research and survey ships.
Philippine Navy spokesperson Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told a news conference the number of ships had risen sharply from the previous week, when 157 Chinese vessels were recorded in the area. The surge followed an improvement in weather conditions after recent tropical cyclones.
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The increase followed the withdrawal of Philippine Coast Guard cutter BRP Teresa Magbanua from contested Sabina Shoal after a monthslong standoff with China. The ship had been running critically low on supplies due to Chinese forces blocking and ramming Philippine ships attempting to deliver provisions.
China has accused the Philippines of attempting to establish a quasi-permanent presence at the uninhabited atoll.
Despite the increase in Chinese activity, Admiral Trinidad maintained that the situation remains under control. “Whatever the reason, I don’t want to speculate on that. We continue monitoring and performing our mandate,” he told reporters.
Trinidad assured that while China may operate 350 to 400 ships across the entire South China Sea, the 251 vessels observed within the Philippine EEZ are insufficient to exert full control over the area.
“The mere fact that the Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Navy, the Air Force, and the Army can continue performing our mandate—sailing the seas and flying in the skies—not only the AFP but also other government agencies—indicates that nobody has control over that vast expanse of water in the South China Sea,” he said.
An EEZ extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from a claimant country’s coast. Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which both China and the Philippines (but not the United States) are signatories, only claimant countries have the right to natural resources within the zone.
However, foreign vessels, including military ones, are not required to seek permission to transit through EEZs, which remain classified as international waters. Nonetheless, the increasing long-term and assertive activities by Chinese Coast Guard and paramilitary ships have fueled tensions with the U.S. defense treaty ally.
China claims sovereignty over 90 percent of the South China Sea, an area believed to hold 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Additionally, one-fifth of global trade passes through the South China Sea each year, underlining its strategic importance, according to 2016 estimates by the The Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague largely ruled in favor of the Philippines. However, China dismissed the ruling as politically motivated and maintains its stance, citing historical rights.
China’s maritime claims conflict with those of other regional actors, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Taiwan, but its disputes with the Philippines have led to the most intense confrontations.
Over the past year, Chinese forces have engaged in aggressive blocking maneuvers, resulting in collisions, the use of water cannons, and even the deployment of close-combat weapons against Philippine personnel carrying out supply missions to hotspots such as Second Thomas Shoal.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Armed Forces of the Philippines did not immediately respond to written requests for comment outside office hours.