Chinese Navy presence near Edca site off Palawan a ‘show of force’ — analyst

MANILA, Philippines — The presence of Chinese Navy warships in Balabac Strait is a “show of force” in preparation for any naval “confrontation” in the West Philippine Sea, a security analyst said on Friday.

On Wednesday, four People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) warships were monitored in the waterway that connects the West Philippine Sea with the Sulu Sea, a development which the military quickly downplayed, noting that the area is a “commonly used by international vessels passing through our waters.”

READ: West Philippine Sea: 4 Chinese warships monitored off Balabac, Palawan

However, the presence of PLA-N warships is near Balabac town in Palawan, which is named as one of the four new sites of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) between Manila and Washington.

This did not escape the attention of security expert Chester Cabalza.

“The presence of PLA-N in Balabac which is one of the four new added Edca sites in Luzon means that Beijing is preparing for any naval confrontation with the Philippines and its allies,” Cabalza, president and founder of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, told INQUIRER.net.

Under Edca, the United States will be allowed to store equipment and deploy its troops inside Philippine