Just two weeks into 2026, the number of Chinese coast guard and naval vessels in the West Philippine Sea has increased, with some of them on several occasions even sailing dangerously close to ships of foreign nations engaged in drills or joint sail with Philippine ships. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) revealed this yesterday, noting that in the first week of the year, two Chinese military ships, three coast guard boats and three maritime militia vessels (MMVs) were monitored near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

Punongbayan, M., & Boton, C. (2026, January 14). China ships increase in WPS in 2026. The Philippine Star, p. 5.