Chinese ships maintained a distant position during the joint maritime exercises conducted by the Philippines and France last week.
According to Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, no vessels from the People’s Liberation Army Navy, China Coast Guard, or maritime militia were present near the location of the multilateral cooperative activity between the French Navy and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“The Chinese ships maintained a distance of over 120 nautical miles,” Trinidad stated.
Rear Adm. Trinidad highlighted that the absence of Chinese vessels during the joint drills demonstrates the benefits of international cooperation in the region.
He also observed that the ‘illegal and coercive actions’ of Chinese warships tend to decrease whenever multinational exercises are conducted with other nations.
The maritime exercise between the Philippines and France was held on February 21, marking the third consecutive week of joint maritime activities by the AFP in the West Philippine Sea.