Parallel Activity Around Taiwan and the Philippines

Taiwan's defence ministry reported 15 Chinese military aircraft sorties, 10 navy ships and seven official ships around the island in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. Thursday, October 15. Thirteen of 15 sorties crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defence identification zones, and the ministry said it monitored them with patrol aircraft, navy ships and coastal missile systems. Farther south, the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and U.S. Navy held their 16th bilateral maritime cooperative activity in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday, ABS-CBN News reported. BRP Miguel Malvar, BRP Melchora Aquino and USS Warrior conducted a passing exercise focused on interoperability. ABS-CBN also reported that the Philippine Navy spotted three Chinese vessels near Bajo de Masinloc, and that a Chinese helicopter tailed a Philippine AW109. The reports describe parallel activity on two fronts and do not show coordination between them.