Manila, May 31 -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday said that while there are Chinese ships sighted in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, West Philippine Sea (WPS), there are no indications or signs they are conducting tactical exercises as they earlier claimed.

"The AFP has monitored the reported presence of PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) and CCG (China Coast Guard) vessels in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc. Our coordinated maritime domain awareness confirms that their claims of coordinated military drills are completely unfounded," AFP spokesperson for the WPS Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Earlier, China announced it had conducted exerci...