PH Navy tells China: Leave PH's maritime zones
Admiral says Navy has 'contingencies' for Chinese vessels' grounding, other 'illegal' actions in WPS
Published Jun 10, 2025 01:38 pm
A Chinese vessel runs aground near Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group, West Philippine Sea on June 7, 2025 due to rough sea conditions. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)
In the wake of the reported stranding of a Chinese maritime militia vessel near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the Kalayaan Island Group, West Philippine Sea (WPS) over the weekend, the Philippine Navy (PN) said that China should leave the country’s maritime zones as their presence in the area is “illegal”.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, PN spokesperson for WPS, said China’s presence in the WPS, as well as its “coercive and aggressive” actions and “deceptive” messaging, “have been the cause of all the turmoil in the West Philippine Sea.”
“The Chinese Communist Party and their agents in the maritime domain, the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] Navy, the Chinese Coast Guard, and the maritime militia should leave the maritime zones of the Philippines. They are the foreign power interfering in the West Philippine Sea,” he said in a press conference in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Tuesday, June 10.
"Their actions, which are coercive and aggressive, are concerning. They are disturbing. They have no right, they have no place in a civilized world and these actions should stop," he added.
He said the Navy has “contingencies” for all of China’s activities in the WPS, including a potential grounding of its vessels in the country’s waters, similar to what happened last June 7.
The military said a Chinese maritime militia vessel ran aground near Pag-asa Island due to bad weather.
The vessel, however, was able to refloat after being assisted by a China Coast Guard ship and two smaller boats. A floating marker was reportedly left by the vessel where it was stranded.
Fishermen on Pag-asa Island expressed worry that the stranding of the Chinese vessel might set a dangerous precedent in the future, or that China might replicate what the PN did in Ayungin Shoal with the deliberate grounding of BRP Sierra Madre (LS57).
“In the Philippine Navy and in the Armed Forces, we do not deal [with] speculation. Nevertheless, we have appropriate contingencies in place for any eventuality,” he said.
Trinidad said that initial investigation showed there has been no environmental damage caused by the grounding of the Chinese vessel on Pag-asa's reefs.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said a total of 41 Chinese vessels were monitored in the WPS from May 1 to 31.
Most of the vessels were sighted in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) with 15 China Coast Guard (CCG) ships and 11 PLA-Navy vessels. There were also four CCG ships and four PLA-N vessels in Pag-asa Island; and six CCG ships and a PLA-Navy in Ayungin Shoal).