Nearly 50 Chinese navy and coast guard ships were monitored at contested features in the South China Sea in June, the Philippine military said on Tuesday, in what it described as the largest presence of Chinese vessels observed in a month, this year. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Chinese presence at disputed shoals and atolls in the South China Sea spiked to 49 ships in June, from the average of 29 China Coast Guard and People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels monitored per month in the first half of 2025. “Regardless of these numbers, the Philippine Navy remains fully on top of the situation, demonstrating continued heightened vigilance and sustained presence in our maritime domain,” military spokeswoman Francel Margareth Padilla told a news briefing.

Basilio, K. C. (2025, July 9). Philippines sees spike in presence of Chinese ships in South China Sea in June. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.