Over 200 fishing vessels believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia were sighted in line formation at the Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) on March 7, 2021, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said. In a statement late Saturday night, March 20, the NTF-WPS said the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed the presence of “around 220 Chinese fishing vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel.” The Chinese vessels massed at the reef showed no actual fishing activities and had their full white lights turned on at night despite the clear weather.

220 Chinese vessels with militia sighted in WPS. (2021, March 22). SunStar Davao, p. 4.