A total of 44 Chinese seacraft and coast guard vessels were spotted in four key West Philippine Sea (WPS) features from June 23 to 29, significantly higher than the 17 detected during the last monitoring period, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday. In a message to reporters, AFP spokesperson for the WPS Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said these Chinese ships were detected at Ayungin Shoal, Bajo de Masinloc, Escoda Shoal and Pag-asa Islands.

44 Chinese vessels spotted in WPS from June 23-29. (2026, July 1). SunStar Pampanga, p. 2.