
Two People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) ships of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) trailed the bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) of the Philippine Navy (PN) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Friday, Aug. 2.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) identified the Chinese ships as Jiangdao-class corvette with bow number “624” and Jingkai class frigate “574”.
The Chinese warships were at an approximate distance of 4 nautical miles and 4.9 nautical miles from the formation of the multi-role guided missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) the Takanami-class destroyer JS Sazanami (DD 113).
However, the Sino vessels did not encroach nor interfere with the joint sail of Manila and Tokyo, according to the military.
“The presence of the PLA-N vessels was closely monitored, and the exercise proceeded as planned, achieving its objectives of improving tactical capabilities and strengthening cooperation between the JMSDF and the PN,” the AFP said.
The Aug. 2 bilateral MCA was the first between the AFP and JMSDF in the WPS amid efforts to de-escalate tension in the area.
Read: PH, Japan navies hold first bilateral sail in WPS
The BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and JS Sazanami held communications exercise (COMMEX), tactical maneuvering, and a photographic exercise (PHOTOEX) throughout their sail.
In April, the JMSDF joined a group sail in the WPS with the navies of the Philippines, United States and Australia.