Manila, April 1 -- The Philippine Navy has denied reports that China conducted military exercises off Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Navy spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said what was observed was a "dispersed presence" of the China Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force.

"An exercise is a synchronized maneuver by different forces. What we monitored was the dispersed presence of the Coast Guard, the PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navy, and the PLA Air Force," he said.

Trinidad said reports of Chinese military exercises are part of Beijing's "false narrative (and) malign influence to project that they have control over Bajo de Masinloc."

"Bajo de Masinloc remai...