China says joint Canada-Philippines naval drill an ‘attempt to stir up trouble’

This photo provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and taken on Philippine Navy BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) during Exercise ALON 2025 shows it sailing in formation with Australian navy HMAS Brisbane (DDG41) and Canadian navy frigate HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH332), east of Scarborough Shoal, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP)

A Canadian warship has concluded an exercise with allied navies off the Philippines, as part of a freedom of navigation demonstration that China says undermines peace in the region.

The Department of National Defence says HMCS Ville de Québec, a Halifax-class frigate, was joined by vessels and aircraft from the Philippines, Australia and the United States to conduct the drills inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“The naval and air force units of participating nations operated together, enhancing our interoperability and co-operation,” National Defence said in a statement Thursday.

The exercise “was conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and with due regard to the safety of navigation,” the department added.

But Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command, accused the Philippines of colluding with countries from outside the region to threaten its security.

“Any attempt to stir up trouble in the South China Sea and create tensions is doomed to fail,” the spokesperson said in a statement Thursday, adding the Chinese military remains on “high alert to safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.”

The Canadian military has participated in similar drills with all three countries in the region before, including as recently as last year.

“Ultimately, Canada’s involvement in MCAs (maritime co-operative activities) further strengthens our role as a regional security partner, promoting peace, resilience and stability in the region,” the statement from National Defence said.

Earlier this year, a Canadian frigate sailed through the Taiwan Strait as part of another freedom of navigation demonstration that reliably rankled China, which claims the disputed waterway as part of its own exclusive economic zone.

Capt. Wyatt Shorter, a spokesperson for the Canadian Joint Operations Command, would not comment on whether HMCS Ville de Québec would conduct a crossing of the Strait on its current deployment.

“The CAF does not comment on sail plans for currently deployed ships as discussing these details in advance would be a breach of operational security,” Shorter said in an emailed statement to CTV News.

“HMCS Ville de Québec is currently deployed on Operation HORIZON, the CAF’s comprehensive military approach to promote peace and stability in support of an international system based on international law in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The frigate deployed to the Indo-Pacific region in April carrying approximately 240 crewmembers and an RCAF Cyclone helicopter.