American maritime expert Ray Powell said the Chinese militia ships turned back in the direction of Mischief Reef after loitering outside the Philippines' 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone.
"Very odd behavior. Perhaps intended to send a message at the beginning of the Philippines-US Balikatan exercise?" Powell wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Powell, a former US Air Force official and defense attaché, clarified that he still had "no context for what's behind this aggression" but is not discounting the possibility that the presence of the Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea might be connected to the annual military exercise, which will run until May 10.
In an ABS-CBN interview, Powell said he believes the presence of Chinese maritime militia ships is a demonstration.
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