Chinese activities in the West PH Sea seen to continue in 2026 - Navy spox

MANILA, January 11 ------ Chinese maritime and air activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are expected to persist into 2026, as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, China Coast Guard (CCG) and maritime militia continue to operate in an increasingly integrated and deterrence-focused manner, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said that from 2024 to 2025, Chinese activity evolved “from intermittent support to a more persistent deterrent posture,” even as the Philippines expanded its maritime cooperative activities (MCAs) with its ally and partners. “The West Philippine Sea is just a microcosm of what is happening in the international arena,” Trinidad told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Tuesday. “These are not incidents that happen by themselves. If you notice, not only in the region but around the world, there is an increase in different geopolitical activities, and naturally, that would also impact on the West Philippine Sea,” he further said.

Trinidad stressed that the Department of National Defense (DND) and AFP are addressing the current security climate through a “robust approach” centered on modernization, capacity building, and defense diplomacy. “Our activities, number one, are through modernization that would include capacity building and maritime domain awareness. Number two, our defense diplomacy has been very strong. We now have five Status of Visiting Forces Agreements (SOVFAs) with other countries—the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Canada, with more coming up,” the official said.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com