More Chinese ships shadowing PH, US navies during Balikatan

More Chinese vessels were seen shadowing naval vessels of the Philippines, the United States and France during the Balikatan joint military exercise in the West Philippine Sea on Sunday.

According to BRP Davao del Sur commanding officer, Commander Marco Sandalo, the Chinese frigate with bow number 570 was seen following the PH-US flotilla by as close as 6 nautical miles.

“Kanina na-monitor natin sila around 6 to 9 nautical miles. Malayo naman ‘yung kanilang presence sa exercise area natin,” he said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

(We monitored their presence earlier around 6 to 9 nautical miles. They were far from our exercise area.)

The Chinese frigate was spotted while the Philippine and French navies were conducting exercises as part of Balikatan. The French frigate was unable to join the afternoon exercises, due to a medical emergency concerning one of its crew.

Another Chinese surveillance ship was also seen while the US and Philippines were conducting search and rescue exercises.

“Paminsan minsan, pasulpot sulpot. Nandiyan sila tapos minsan mawawala, so ang importante namo-monitor namin ang kanilang mga presence at naipapahatid natin ‘yung kanilang movement sa higher headquarters,” Sandalo said.

(They show up intermittently. Sometimes they are there then sometimes they disappear. What is important is that we monitor their presence and present their movement to higher headquarters.)

A day earlier, a surveillance vessel from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy with bow number 793 shadowed US and Philippine vessels from 3 nautical miles.

The Philippine Navy has monitored some 110 Chinese militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea since the start of the Balikatan exercises which started on April 22, and will last until May 10. This compares with the previous weekly average of 30 to 60 vessels.

This year’s Balikatan includes exercises on command and control, and field training, as well as humanitarian civic assistance. Parties will also conduct a multilateral maritime exercise or joint sailing exercise in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

This will also involve 16,700 personnel from the Australian Defense Force and the Marine Nationale (French Navy), along with the participation of government agencies such as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Information, Communications, and Technology (DICT), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

The exercise will also have observers from 14 countries: Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.—Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News