Philippines flags near-doubling of Chinese presence in disputed waters

The Philippines reported a surge in Chinese military and coast guard presence in disputed South China Sea waters, nearly doubling to 101 vessels over the past month, according to the Manila military. This increase came as the two nations faced a standoff near Second Thomas Shoal during a rescue mission for a sick Filipino sailor.

China claims sovereignty over most of the strategic waterway despite an international ruling that dismisses this assertion as lacking legal basis. Confrontations between Philippine and Chinese ships have previously resulted in collisions, leading to injuries and damage. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine military spokesman, warned that China's buildup aimed to "break our people's resolve to keep what is ours," describing it as a "mission kill" to destroy the Philippines' capability to continue its mission.

The latest incident occurred on Thursday when Chinese vessels obstructed the medical evacuation of the ailing sailor for nearly 10 hours, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard to deploy rubber boats to retrieve the soldier, who is now in stable condition. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not respond to requests for comment. In a separate incident, China allegedly interfered with a Philippine government aircraft and boats, including allegedly interfering with a Philippine Cessna 208 turboprop conducting a routine military patrol near Scarborough Shoal and "shadowing and blocking" Philippine boats attempting to approach a foreign fishing vessel accused of dynamite fishing. China warned Manila against "provocative acts" in the disputed waters.