MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it monitored a total of 62 Chinese vessels in various features of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in April 2026, lower than the 90 vessels recorded in March.

In a report, AFP spokesperson for the WPS Roy Vincent Trinidad said the vessels included units from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and China Coast Guard (CCG), which were observed across several maritime features.

The breakdown showed 24 vessels at Bajo de Masinloc, consisting of nine PLAN ships and 15 CCG vessels; 12 vessels at Ayungin Shoal, including two PLAN and 10 CCG; 17 vessels at Escoda Shoal, composed of nine PLAN and eight CCG; and nine vessels at the Pag-asa Islands, including one PLAN and eight CCG vessels.

Trinidad described the continued presence of Chinese vessels as part of what he called “irregular, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive” actions in the disputed waters.

“Despite these actions, the Philippine Navy and the AFP remain steadfast in fulfilling their resp mandates to uphold maritime security, maintaining a sustained focus on operational readiness, enhanced maritime domain awareness, and strengthened inter-agency coordination in addressing developments in the WPS,” Trinidad said.

Tensions in the area persist as Beijing continues to assert claims over almost the entire South China Sea, a major global shipping route carrying an estimated $3 trillion in annual trade, portions of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

The Philippine government refers to parts of the disputed waters within its maritime zone as the West Philippine Sea, covering areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago, including Luzon Sea and waters surrounding the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, stating that China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea had “no legal basis.” China has since rejected the ruling.