China's Military Ships Watch US and Allied Navies

Chinese warships have been keeping tabs on naval vessels as they take part in the largest U.S.-Philippine military exercise to date, within the Southeast Asian country's internationally recognized exclusive economic zone.

Chinese destroyer the Shenzhen and a Dongdiao surveillance vessel were tracked sailing four to five miles away from participating U.S., French, and Philippine ships about 38 miles off the coast of Palawan province, Captain Ariel Joseph Coloma, spokesperson for the Philippine military's Western Command, told local media.

This year's Balikatan exercise, Tagalog for "shoulder to shoulder," began last week and involves land, air and sea assets. It is the largest and most complex version to date, with some 17,000 military participants, including personnel from Australia and, for the first time, France.

The drills come amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines has been pushing back against China's increasingly aggressive moves to support its territorial claims, which include the exclusive economic zones of the U.S. ally and other neighbors.

Coloma said the multinational flotilla was unaffected by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships. "As long [as] we continue to monitor and report them, we are in control of the situation," he told the Philippine News Agency.

Coloma told Newsweek he was not authorized to comment on the significance of the Chinese vessels.

Newsweek reached out to the Armed Forces of the Philippines by email for comment.

On Sunday, the PLAN frigate Yangzhou was detected tailing the flotilla at a distance of about seven miles.

Also on Sunday, Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight maritime transparency initiative, posted ship tracking data on X (formerly Twitter). It showed that a Chinese deep-sea research ship, the Shen Kuo, had been "loitering off the Philippines' east coast and well within its exclusive economic zone for two days."

Last week, China's Defense Ministry said it was "closely following relevant moves and will resolutely respond with effective measures." The ministry warned that China would not allow any party to "sow chaos" in the South China Sea.

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines did not immediately respond to a Newsweek email seeking comment.

Manila is investing heavily in military modernization and strengthening security ties with regional partners, including the U.S. and, increasingly, Japan and Australia.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden hosted a first three-way summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Marcos.

During Marcos' visit, Biden reaffirmed that Washington and Manila's seven-decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty extends to the entire Pacific, including the South China Sea.

At least a fifth of the world's trade is estimated to pass through the energy-rich waterway each year.