The Armed Forces of the Philippines denied China's claim that its bombers patrolled the West Philippine Sea during last week's joint maritime drills with the United States and Japan. No such aircraft were detected by the military. This underscores ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.
On November 18, Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP public affairs chief, told Philstar.com that 'There was no monitored such formations in our maritime domain during the conduct of MMCA in the WPS.' This contradicted a report by Chinese state media Global Times that the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command conducted bomber formation patrols in the South China Sea on November 14, the same day the three-country Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) began.
A PLA Southern Theater Command spokesperson said the patrol was organized 'amid the Philippines’ so-called ‘joint patrols’ with external forces.' They added, 'The Philippines has frequently colluded with external forces to carry out so-called ‘joint patrols,’ undermining regional peace and stability,' and warned Manila to 'immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions.'
The drills took place from November 14 to 15 in an undisclosed area of the West Philippine Sea, marking the 13th such exercise overall and the eighth this year. The AFP deployed frigates BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna, plus an AW159 helicopter. The US contributed the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, including USS Nimitz and three destroyers. Japan sent JS Akebono and an SH-60K Seahawk helicopter. The Philippine Coast Guard joined with BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Cape San Agustin.
Activities included anti-submarine warfare exercises, cross-deck landing operations, and maritime domain awareness training. The AFP described the MMCA as reflecting its commitment to 'safeguarding the nation’s sovereign rights' and strengthening deterrence with partners.
China routinely objects to joint military activities involving the Philippines and like-minded nations in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling invalidating its sweeping maritime claims. Manila has been seeking more security and defense partnerships to bolster deterrence against China, whose Navy and Coast Guard fleet dwarfs the Philippines'.