China is intentionally ramping up its maritime aggression and ship deployments in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to take advantage of global distractions caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson for WPS, revealed this on Tuesday, March 31, as the military documented 90 Chinese vessels swarming key features in March, marking an increase from 62 vessels in February.

The surge coincided with the United States and the international community shifting their primary focus toward stabilizing West Asia, which Trinidad described as a “deliberate” tactical move by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“The correlation will be better understood if we understand how the Chinese Communist Party operates, what their operating doctrine is," Trinidad said.

“They follow the doctrine that they avoid the high ground, they go to the low ground, just like how water acts. If you [know] the enemy is strong, you retreat. If he retreats, you advance. You feign weakness, but project strength,” he added.

The AFP monitored a total of 22,755 vessels navigating Philippine maritime zones in March. Of these, 19,328 were foreign-flagged while 3,427 vessels were domestic. He added that 14,990 vessels responded to radio challenges while another 7,765 did not respond.

The most concentrated Chinese presence was recorded at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) with 49 vessels, consisting of 17 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) warships and 32 China Coast Guard (CCG) ships.

Other sightings included 15 vessels at Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, 14 at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and 12 at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal.

Trinidad noted that the escalation over the past two weeks directly mirrors the heightening tensions in the Middle East.

"They will take advantage of every opportunity to legalize their illegal presence and to normalize the situation. They are trying to normalize their illegal presence and take advantage of the focus of the international community in the Middle East,” he added.

Amid the increase in the number of Chinese vessels, incidents of harassments were also rising involving Chinese vessels.

On March 7, a PLA-N warship activated its fire control system against a Philippine Navy frigate near Escoda Shoal. Later, on March 25, another Philippine Navy ship was harassed by a Chinese warship near Pag-asa Island.

These incidents represent a shift from the usual “white hull” or coast guard confrontations to “gray hull” or Navy interactions, and Trinidad described these actions as “intentional, illegal, and unprofessional.”

Despite the provocations, the AFP maintained it would not be goaded into a violent response. The military has adopted a policy of “transparency initiative” to document and broadcast Chinese incursions to the global stage.

"The AFP is the adult in this game. Tayo po ang matanda rito. Sila po ‘yung bata. Ang matanda hindi po pumapatol sa bata (We are the adult here. They are the child. An adult does not stoop down to the level of a child),” Trinidad said.