Chinese vessels swarm Pag-asa Island, Philippine Navy confirms

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy confirmed yesterday that dozens of Chinese military, coast guard and maritime militia vessels continue to swarm and stay in Subi Reef near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) which China, through a man-made artificial island, has turned into a fully operational naval base.

Former United States Air Force official and former defense attaché Ray Powell, in several posts on X yesterday, said some 83 Chinese vessels have been monitored in the vicinity.

Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said such count is “fairly accurate” considering how China uses Subi Reef located within the territorial sea of Pag-asa Island as some sort of pier where its ships, boats and militia come and go.

“Those numbers (are) fairly accurate because it’s near Pag-asa. If they sail past Subi that is also the sea area of Pag-asa,” he told dzBB in an interview yesterday.

He however noted that Powell’s count covers a particular time and a particular place while the Philippine Navy looks and monitors the entire expanse of the WPS and now releases monthly reports.

“We are seeing many clustering of maritime militia near Pag-asa at Subi Reef and near Ayungin at Mischief Reef because that is enclosed haven, enclosed marina, that’s their safe harbor so there’s a concentration of maritime militia with PLA Navy and Chinese Coast Guard,” he said in Filipino.

Trinidad said Subi Reef, which China developed and occupied in 2012, is a “parking area” of Chinese maritime militia boats disguised as fishing vessels that sometimes reach 150 to 200 in number.

“Actually, this is not OK as the minute they enter our territory then that’s illegal presence... They developed Subi Reef over the past years into an enclosed marina and harbor,” he explained.

Asked if the Philippines would ever be able to reclaim Subi Reef, Trinidad said “it would take more than military” solution, but rather depends on “higher levels of government.”

For quite a time now, he said Subi Reef has become off limits to the country’s vessels since China reclaimed and turned it into a naval base.

Trinidad said the Philippine Navy, however, continues to