Manila: The number of Chinese warships and coast guard vessels observed across three significant features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) slightly decreased in July, a senior naval official reported on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, noted a reduction from 49 vessels in June to 46 in July. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships and China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels were identified at specific locations within the WPS.

The breakdown of the sightings includes 13 CCG vessels and 15 PLAN ships at Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, eight CCG vessels and five PLAN ships at Ayungin Shoal, and three CCG vessels and two PLAN ships near Pag-asa Island. Rear Admiral Trinidad attributed the slight reduction in numbers to the “maintenance and repair schedule” of the Chinese ships stationed in these areas.

The Philippines continues to be embroiled in a prolonged territorial dispute with China over sections of the resource-abundant South China Sea, which includes areas Manila designates as the WPS. Despite the Philippines securing a landmark victory in 2016 against China’s extensive claim in the South China Sea before an arbitration tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, China has not acknowledged the ruling and persists in maintaining its presence in the WPS.