(Updated)
A Chinese carrier strike group has been operating in the Philippine Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday, July 10.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines notes the deployment of a Chinese carrier strike group in the Philippine Sea with concern,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in response to reports that the Shandong Carrier Strike Group of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) was deployed to the Philippine Sea.
Details of the exact location of the carrier strike group, however, were not mentioned by Padilla.
She said the AFP emphasizes the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The military spokesperson also urged China and other nations with overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea to “adhere to international laws and norms, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
A 2016 arbitral ruling invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, and ruled in favor of the Philippines’ claims in the West Philippine Sea.
Beijing, however, continued to ignore the ruling and maintain its presence in these waters.
“The AFP remains committed to safeguarding our maritime interests and ensuring the security of our nation's territorial waters through continued vigilance,” Padilla noted.
Last month, the aircraft carrier Shandong was also spotted sailing about 200 nautical miles from Luzon mainland.
Shandong is China's first domestically produced aircraft carrier. In a strike or battle group, it is accompanied by other powerful warships and aircraft.
Meanwhile, the AFP disclosed that it was also monitoring reports of a bilateral exercise between China and Russia in the Philippine Sea.
"What they do in the high seas is being monitored," Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of AFP public affairs office, said.
According to reports, joint units of China's PLA-N and Russian Navy were operating in the Philippine Sea for an exercise.
"We will continue to monitor this situation to ensure Philippine sovereign rights are not violated," Trinidad said.