Manila, Aug. 18 -- China is using more law enforcement vessels to encroach on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.

Citing the latest semestral report, AFP spokesperson for the WPS, Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said the Philippine Navy (PN) monitored 77 China Coast Guard (CCG) ships in the first six months of 2026, higher than the 68 reported in the same period last year.

"(The) increase in CCG ships indicates an emphasis on law enforcement functions in the WPS," he said.

Earlier reports said the use of CCG vessels in such operations constitutes China's gray-zone tactics, defined as aggressive actions used short of actual war.

"There was also an increase in the ...