12 Nautical is a podcast about the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea, where maritime disputes, strategic rivalries, and legal battles shape the future of the region
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said Tuesday it spotted 26 Chinese naval and coast guard ships in four key features of the West Philippine Sea from July 21 to 26, according to a statement by Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the AFP's WPS spokesperson.
Seven coast guard vessels and two People's Liberation Army Navy ships were spotted at Ayungin Shoal; 13 coast guard ships at Bajo de Masinloc; one coast guard vessel at Escoda Shoal; and one coast guard and two PLAN ships near Pag-asa Islands. The count is slightly higher than the 24 vessels the AFP reported during its previous monitoring period of July 7-13.
Trinidad said the monitoring procedure forms part of the AFP's maritime domain awareness efforts and enables "timely detection, identification, and assessment of vessels operating within Philippine waters." SunStar reports.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has launched ATIN WPS (Alliance of Truthful Information and Narratives on the West Philippine Sea), a program enlisting Filipino fishermen to counter misinformation about the country's maritime claims. The initiative, unveiled at a ceremony in Zambales on July 28 that drew over 80 fisherfolk leaders and officials from the Philippine Coast Guard and National Security Council, provides training on the legal foundations of the Philippines' claims and the 2016 Arbitral Award that favored the country against China.
BFAR National Director Elizer S. Salilig said the program recognizes fisherfolk as "the true frontline guardians of our sea" and aims to equip them as "credible voices of truth" in their communities. National Security Council Director Romeo Racadio said protecting "the truth" through fact-based narratives was as vital to national interests as defending the country's maritime territory.
The training covered maritime law, the history of Philippine claims, responsible conduct at sea, and techniques for identifying misinformation in coastal communities. The program is supported by the US Embassy Manila's Fish Right Project, BusinessWorld reports.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed in his State of the Nation Address yesterday to uphold the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea "through peaceful and legal means," rejecting what he called slights to Filipino dignity. "We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars," Marcos said, drawing applause from lawmakers, in an apparent response to Chinese state media depictions of Filipinos as monkeys and a recent incident in which a Philippine Navy personnel was struck by a Chinese coast guard.
The remarks came 10 days after a sailor on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal was injured in a clash at the contested shoal. Marcos said the government would defend the arbitral ruling "utilizing every peaceful and legal means available" and honored the Armed Forces, Coast Guard and fisherfolk "who continue to patrol and ply our seas in the face of great risks."
Separately, the Philippine Coast Guard deployed a vessel and air asset Sunday to search for 17 crew members still missing from the Vietnamese cargo ship Khoi Nguyen 18, which sank near Kagitingan Reef in the West Philippine Sea. Of the 62 crew aboard, 45 have been rescued, Helen Flores reports for philstar.com.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has established the Alliance of Fisherfolk for Truthful Information and Narratives on the West Philippine Sea (ATIN WPS), training fisherfolk to counter false information about the contested waters, GMA News reports.
Participants receive technical training on the legal and historical background of the West Philippine Sea, the 2016 international arbitral award favoring the Philippines, maritime entitlements, and ways to combat misinformation. The initiative aims to equip fisherfolk—those most directly affected by developments in the waters—to disseminate accurate information in their communities.
The National Security Council and the US Embassy's Fish Right Project have backed the alliance, which was launched following an incident at Ayungin Shoal where two Philippine Navy personnel were injured during a confrontation with the China Coast Guard, GMA News Online / News reports.
Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, the newly appointed AFP chief of staff, conferred the Wounded Personnel Medal on two Philippine Navy personnel wounded in a July 20 clash with China Coast Guard vessels near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. The two sailors, serving as security personnel aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, sustained injuries when CCG personnel aboard an inflatable boat struck them with batons despite being in waters claimed by the Philippines, according to video footage from the incident.
Nafarrete visited the wounded sailors at Camp Ricarte Station Hospital on July 25 and expressed the AFP's gratitude, assuring them of full support for their recovery. One sailor suffered a head injury; the other injured his right hand. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier visited the two personnel and awarded them the Order of Lapu-Lapu, along with P100,000 each in special financial assistance, GMA News Online / News reports.
Philippines lodges complaints with China over West Philippine Sea incidents
Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro raised Manila's grievances against China during a minister-level meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on July 22, days after a Filipino soldier was injured in a confrontation with China Coast Guard personnel at Ayungin Shoal.
On June 20, CCG personnel struck a soldier stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre with a long pole, causing a head wound. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan the following day; Jing described the meeting as "constructive" and said both sides had expressed their "true feelings." On July 23, the Philippine Coast Guard said Chinese counterparts used water cannons and "dangerous maneuvers" against Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels near Scarborough Shoal, RAPPLER reports.
China has reclaimed about 602 hectares of land at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands, marking its first significant artificial island-building in the South China Sea since 2017, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). The reef, located 300 kilometres from China's Hainan province, began major dredging in October and preliminary construction this year.
If construction continues at the observed pace, Antelope Reef will become China's largest feature in the Paracels and potentially the entire South China Sea, the AMTI said, surpassing Woody Island's 335 hectares and possibly equalling Mischief Reef in the Spratlys. Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson protested the reclamation as "completely illegal and invalid", while China said the Paracel Islands are its "inherent" territory and the work aims to improve living conditions there.
The development extends Chinese military capabilities closer to Vietnam and provides additional capacity for naval and air assets in the northern South China Sea, the AMTI said, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.
The Department of Foreign Affairs denies Chinese claims that a confidential 2024 agreement covering Ayungin Shoal restricts Philippine construction there, Rappler reports. The denial comes after Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan cited the Provisional Understanding as limiting Manila's activities on the shoal.
China's Foreign Ministry accused the Philippines of staging a 'publicity stunt' following a water cannon incident in the West Philippine Sea, the Manila Times is reporting. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said in a statement Friday that Philippine authorities orchestrated the maritime encounter to draw international media attention, noting that reporters were on board the vessels.
Lin claimed Philippine ships "deliberately intruded into the waters" and said the China Coast Guard acted within its legal rights to uphold Chinese territorial sovereignty.
Asean and China target year-end deal on South China Sea code of conduct
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China are aiming to conclude negotiations on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea by the end of the year, according to reporting from the Philippines. The push marks the strongest effort in years to finalize an agreement intended to manage tensions in the disputed waterway.
The article notes that experts see significant hurdles ahead, though the source material does not detail what those obstacles are, Inquirer Global Nation reports.
Trump tells Marcos he will raise Philippine concerns with Xi
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, during which Trump said he would 'take up concerns of the Philippines' with Chinese President Xi Jinping at their next meeting, the Presidential Communications Office said.
The call comes as the Philippines faces mounting tensions in the West Philippine Sea, where Chinese vessels have repeatedly harassed Filipino boats in disputed waters, Inquirer Global Nation reports.
Chinese and Philippine vessels faced off for the second consecutive day near Scarborough Shoal on Friday, marking the third such encounter this week in the contested South China Sea, the South China Morning Post reports.
The Chinese coastguard said it took "control measures in accordance with the law" against what it called illegal Philippine activity in waters it claims near Huangyan Island, China's name for the shoal. Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela accused the Chinese side of subjecting their vessels to "a series of water cannon attacks and dangerous manoeuvres", with 10 Philippine ships and 15 Chinese vessels locked in a stand-off as of 9:30 a.m. Friday.
The clashes coincide with Chinese military drills running through the end of July in other parts of the contested waterway.
The Philippine Coast Guard on Friday accused China's Coast Guard of firing water cannons at government vessels near Scarborough Shoal for a second consecutive day, saying a Chinese ship came within 23 feet of a Philippine fisheries boat, creating "a serious risk of collision", Reuters reports.
"The PCG strongly condemns the dangerous and unprofessional actions of the China Coast Guard," said Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela. China's Coast Guard said it had imposed "control measures" on Philippine vessels it accused of operating illegally in waters around the shoal, part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
China's Foreign Ministry said the Coast Guard's actions were "reasonable, lawful and beyond reproach." The incident is the third confrontation in the South China Sea this week, following a Monday confrontation at Second Thomas Shoal where Manila said a Filipino sailor was injured, Interaksyon reports.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela rejected Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan's claim that Philippine activities were triggering tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Tarriela stated, 'If there’s one country that’s driving tension not just in the West Philippine Sea, but the entire South China Sea, that will be the Chinese government.' He also questioned recent developments involving China, including a series of incidents and alleged propaganda efforts, suggesting they might be part of a coordinated script. The PCG official emphasized continued diplomatic engagement with China despite ongoing confrontations, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.
Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio stated that China cannot prevent the Philippines from constructing structures at Ayungin Shoal. Carpio said the shoal is part of the country's exclusive economic zone under the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling, asserting the Philippines' right to erect artificial structures without seeking permission from any state.
Carpio also questioned the legality of any reported arrangement that would require prior notification or consultation with China before sending vessels to Ayungin Shoal or constructing structures there. He noted that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has not publicly released the text of the provisional agreement with China, adding that such an agreement could undermine the country's freedom of navigation and sovereign rights under UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling.
In a statement, Carpio said the DFA was 'now in a bind' because China had publicly disclosed that Manila supposedly agreed not to resupply the BRP Sierra Madre without prior notice and consultation and not to build on Ayungin Shoal, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.
A China Coast Guard vessel that stayed inside Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal for nearly a week has departed following an incident with the Philippine Navy, according to SeaLight. The close approach of the Chinese vessel reportedly left a Filipino sailor injured when he was struck on the head while defending the outpost. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea rejected China's claim that it authorized the medical evacuation, stating that Chinese personnel conducted dangerous blocking maneuvers during the operation, Franco Jose C. Baroña reports for The Manila Times.
A recent OCTA Research survey shows that 64% of Filipinos distrust China, down three points from the first quarter of 2026. The poll was conducted during a week marking the 10th anniversary of the arbitral ruling in the West Philippine Sea dispute. President Ferdinand Marcos met with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to discuss an incident where Philippine Navy personnel were assaulted by members of the China Coast Guard in Ayungin Shoal, Janvic Mateo reports for the Philippine Star.
Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio stated that China cannot prevent the Philippines from constructing at Ayungin Shoal, part of the country's exclusive economic zone under a 2016 arbitral ruling. Carpio said, 'The arbitral award declared Ayungin Shoal part of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. In the EEZ, there is freedom of navigation and overflight for all states.' He added that as the adjacent coastal state, the Philippines has the exclusive sovereign right to erect artificial structures on Ayungin Shoal without seeking permission from any state.
In response to a statement by Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, who blamed the recent confrontation between China Coast Guard and Philippine Navy personnel at Ayungin on a violation of a 2024 provisional agreement, Carpio maintained that 'That's against the spirit of the provisional agreement.' The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro raised the Philippines' protest over the recent Ayungin Shoal incident during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as Manila pressed Beijing on maritime disputes despite renewed diplomatic engagement. Lazaro reiterated the country's consistent positions and concerns over actions that have infringed on Filipino personnel safety. Both ministers discussed political and security matters, regional developments, and cooperation in various sectors, emphasizing the importance of maintaining open channels of communication and resolving disputes peacefully, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.
The Philippine military on Wednesday rejected claims that Beijing permitted a medical evacuation from Ayungin Shoal, saying the operation required no foreign approval, The Manila Times reports.
"The Philippines does not ask for, nor does it require, the permission of any foreign nation to conduct operations within its own Exclusive Economic Zone," the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement.
The military called the China Coast Guard's assertion a "false narrative intended to project illegitimate authority," following Tuesday's joint mission with the Philippine Coast Guard at the BRP Sierra Madre.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to protest an attack on a Filipino sailor at Ayungin Shoal, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.
"President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. already summoned Ambassador Jing Quan yesterday, and he firmly conveyed the Philippines’ protest over the violent actions against Filipino Navy personnel," DFA maritime affairs spokesperson Rogelio Villanueva Jr. said, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.
Jing disputed the characterization, saying the meeting was "not a kind of diplomatic protest" but a "constructive" exchange of views on bilateral relations.
