Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro made the comments during a Nov. 19 visit to Palawan with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin, where the two condemned what they called China’s “dangerous and worrying” behavior. in disputed waters.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry has yet to respond to the allegations.

“(Beijing has) been more aggressive in denying us access to our exclusive economic zone in the western Philippines. They actually placed a lot of these pseudo-military ships disguised as Coast Guard ships and maritime militia ships in areas west of the Philippine Sea,” Teodoro said during a briefing press.

In September, the Philippine Armed Forces counted a record 251 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s term for the waters of the South China Sea that it considers part of its exclusive economic zone. – including warships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and Coast Guard. ships and boats of the maritime militia.