The Philippine military on Tuesday said it had spotted about 50 Chinese vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, many of them surrounding the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Five Coast Guard ships, 18 maritime militia vessels and 10 fishing boats from China were seen near the shoal, which is a traditional fishing ground, AFP spokesperson Francel Margareth Padilla told a news briefing, citing monitoring data as of 4 p.m. on March 11. Six Chinese fishing vessels and one coast guard ship were spotted at Second Thomas Shoal, and one coast guard ship and six fishing boats near Thitu Island, she added.

Atienza, K. A. T. (2024, March 13). Philippines says it spotted 50 Chinese ships within EEZ in South China Sea. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.