60 Chinese ships near Philippine naval base

Last Updated on December 1, 2024 6:01 am

The number of Chinese civilian ships near the important Philippine naval base of Thitu Island in the South China Sea has increased. However, a senior official of the country’s navy said that there is nothing to worry about. The British news agency Reuters reported this news, citing satellite images released on Thursday.

Vice Admiral Alfonso Torres, head of the Philippine Western Command, said that the ships’ arrival here is normal. Manila, the Pentagon and foreign diplomats believe that the ships are working to strengthen Beijing’s presence in coordination with the Chinese coast guard and navy.

Images taken by Maxar Technologies on Monday showed about 60 ships. Some of them are just two nautical miles from Thitu Island. The island, known as Pag-Asa in the Philippines, is a strategic location in the South China Sea. From here, Manila monitors the movements of Chinese ships and aircraft.

“We are aware of the ships,” said Rear Admiral Roy Trinidad, a spokesman for the Philippine Navy on the South China Sea. “They are illegal presences. But there is nothing to worry about.”

He added that it is not necessary to react to every issue. It is important for us to maintain our position.

Online ship tracking sites show that most of the vessels in the satellite images are Chinese-registered fishing vessels.

China’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters.

Thitu Island is the Philippines’ largest and most strategically important island. The South China Sea is largely claimed by China but is a vital hub for billions of dollars in cargo every year. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea have no basis in international law.

In recent months, there have been clashes between Chinese coastguard and fishing vessels and Philippine vessels near Scarborough Shoals and Second Thomas Shoals.

Thitu Island is located near China’s Subi Reef naval base and runway. The base sometimes serves as a port for Chinese ships. Trinidad said that the route to and from Subi involves passing through the Pug-Asar border.

Diplomats and security analysts are closely monitoring the activities of Chinese ships in the area. This week, the Chinese ships had their transponders turned on, making it easier to track their movements.

Singapore-based security expert Colin Koh believes that the incident could be part of China’s monitoring of Manila’s response. Beijing may not want to miss the opportunity to check Manila’s situation, especially given the country’s political situation.

Drama has erupted in the Philippine political arena. On Wednesday, Philippine Vice President Duterte accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of trying to remove him from office.

Several steps have been taken recently to increase the Philippines’ presence on Thitu Island and improve its surveillance capabilities. This includes a hangar, which is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

Koh added that this will need to be closely monitored in the coming days. He believes that the continued presence of Chinese ships could delay the Philippine construction projects on Thitu Island, especially the hangar work.

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