Philippines Stands Firm as People's Liberation Army Vessels Shadow US-Philippine Drills in the West Philippine Sea

Article by F. Palafox

Published on June 30, 2026 06:30PM

China’s military claim that it merely conducted “routine” patrols after a US‑Philippine exercise near Scarborough Shoal is contradicted by multiple Philippine reports that Chinese navy and coast guard vessels shadowed the bilateral drills and by Manila’s lodged protests over recent activity around the atoll. ¹ ² ³

Context and what happened

Philippine broadcasters and officials reported that a Type 054B Chinese frigate (bow number 555) and three (3) coastguard ships followed a US–Philippine bilateral maritime cooperation activity (BMCA) roughly 50 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) over the weekend, and that the closest approach between the Chinese frigate and the Philippine frigate BRP Antonio Luna was about 5.6 nautical miles. ² ³

The Philippine Navy and Coast Guard said their ships, including BRP Antonio Luna, BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Capones, conducted tactical maneuvers and search‑and‑rescue drills with US Coast Guard cutters Charles Moulthrope and Emlen Tunnell, and that Chinese vessels shadowed but did not physically interfere, according to local reporting. ²

How that clashes with Beijing’s statement

The PLA Southern Theatre Command described weekend activity as “routine air and naval patrols,” and accused the Philippines of co‑opting outside powers and undermining regional stability in a statement attributed to spokesman Zhai Shichen. ¹ ³

Independent media coverage and Reuters reporting show this is part of a pattern, China frequently frames naval presence as routine patrols while Philippine authorities characterize the same activity as shadowing of official Philippine patrols and joint drills, producing a gap between the two (2) narratives that matters for regional perceptions. ¹ ²

Why this matters for the Philippines

Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal or Huangyan Dao in Beijing’s statements) sits about 230 km west of Luzon and inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, making any sustained Chinese presence there a direct concern for Filipino fishers and for Manila’s enforcement of maritime rights near Zambales and Pangasinan. ¹ ² ³

The sailing of a major Chinese frigate alongside coastguard vessels after a June 21 stand‑off and after Manila’s diplomatic protest over a floating structure spotted inside the shoal’s lagoon has raised alarm in Manila and among regional observers that routine‑patrol language understates the operational pressure experienced by Philippine vessels. ¹

Reporting realities

Philippine outlets quoted the commanding officer of BRP Antonio Luna saying Chinese vessels “did not disrupt the activity” but continued to shadow Filipino ships whenever they approached the atoll. ²

Reuters and other mainstream outlets have repeatedly documented the recurring pattern of China saying its actions are routine while Philippines and international reporting treat close‑shadowing and the deployment of a guided‑missile frigate as escalation or coercive presence near a contested feature. ¹ ²

In April and May this year, joint drills involving US, Philippine (and sometimes Australian or Japanese) ships prompted Beijing to publicly label its own movements “routine patrols,” while Manila and regional news outlets recorded instances of Chinese vessels confronting Philippine craft, a dynamic that repeats in the most recent weekend’s incident and feeds mistrust between Manila and Beijing. ¹ ²

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Notes:

¹ Reuters coverage noting China’s claim of conducting patrols and its accusation that Philippine cooperation with outside countries disrupted peace

² International and regional reporting summarizing Philippine local media accounts of the June exercises and the presence of a Type 054B frigate and coastguard ships shadowing the drills

³ South China Morning Post. Chinese vessels shadow US-Philippine naval drills in South China Sea near disputed shoal. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3358758/chinese-vessels-shadow-us-philippine-naval-drills-south-china-sea-near-disputed-shoal