By Robina Asido

A guided-missile frigate of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) tailed JS Takanami of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) as it joined the newest Philippine Navy vessel, BRP Miguel Malvar in a bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) in the West Philippine Sea on June 14, a military spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad did not say how long JS Takanami was tailed by the Chinese warship but he noted that it was just "approximately 80 nautical miles away from the Japanese" destroyer.

The Chinese warship with bow number 569 appeared from the left side of BRP Miguel Malvar after it met JS Takanami within the exercise area that was around 50 nautical miles from the coast of Zambales.

The Chinese PLAN vessel sailed towards the right side of BRP Miguel Malvar and tailed JS Takanami that launched an expandable mobile anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training target (EMATT) which served as mock submarine target during the simulated ASW exercise.

Trinidad said the Chinese guided-missile frigate also launched and recovered aerial drones during the MCA.

"During the conduct of the bilateral cooperative activity between the Philippine Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, there was a PLA Navy warship that was tailing the formation that also launched and recovered drones," he said.

"This ship launched and recovered a drone, which we could only surmise was monitoring the conduct of the activity," he added.

Aside from the monitored presence of Chinese PLAN vessels, Trinidad denied the reported joint sea and air patrol allegedly conducted by the Southern Theatre Command in response to the recent joint maritime drills between Philippines and Japan.

"The Philippine Navy did not monitor any coordinated air and maritime patrols in our maritime zones conducted by the Southern Theater Command. What we have monitored is the continued illegal presence in our maritime zones of the PLA Navy and the Chinese Coast Guard, specifically in Bajo de Masinloc, Pag-asa, Sabina, and Ayungin Shoals," he said.

"They are doing this in order to address number one, the internal audience in order to gain popular support, raise a sense of nationalism, and perpetuate the Chinese Communist Party in power. Secondly is to shape the international narrative that would be favorable to their illegal claims in our maritime zones," he added.

Trinidad also noted that the statement of Southern Theatre Command spokesman Senior Colonel Tian Junli claiming that "the Philippines has been courting countries outside the region to conduct so-called joint patrols, raising security risks in the South China Sea and undermining regional peace and stability" does not hold any water.

"They are the illegal presence in our maritime zones, and I would again like to mention that they should leave, the PLA Navy and the Chinese Coast Guard should leave our maritime zones," he said. DMS