Manila: A ranking Philippine Navy official on Sunday said the United States' preoccupation in the conflict in the Middle East has nothing to do with the slight increase in Chinese ships monitored in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

According to Philippines News Agency, PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad clarified during an interview with DZBB that the increase in Chinese maritime presence is not directly correlated with the current events in the Middle East. Trinidad reported that last week, 34 ships from China's People's Liberation Army Navy and the China Coast Guard were sighted in the WPS, marking a slight rise from the 21 and 18 ships previously observed.

Trinidad emphasized that there is no observable reduction in the Philippines' bilateral activities with the United States, despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. He highlighted that around 500 activities are expected under the Mutual Defense Board-Security Exchange Board.

He also mentioned the recent conclusion of a multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) with the US and Australia, which took place in Subic, extending from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority all the way up to Mavulis Island in Batanes.