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The Philippines said Thursday that two Chinese warships, led by the Shandong aircraft carrier, sailed Tuesday near its northern maritime borders.

Shandong was deployed to the disputed South China Sea for a second time in April, according to the US Naval Institute (USNI).

“The Philippine Navy, through its intelligence surveillance reconnaissance capabilities, monitored 2 PLA Navy ships off our Northern coasts last April 22, 2025,” Navy spokesman Capt. John Percie Alcos told reporters after he was asked about the USNI report, reported the Inquirer.

The Philippines is currently undertaking military drills with the US. Named the “Super Bowl” of exercises in the region, the three-week “Balikatan," or "shoulder to shoulder" drills, are being attended by more than 16,000 troops from both sides.

Balikatan 25 is taking place April 21 - May 9 in the Luzon Strait, between the Philippines Luzon island and Taiwan.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang urged the US to abandon its "persecutory delusion" about the Chinese military after US officials commented about China's military, according to state-run Xinhua News.

"We have a sober understanding of our own development and hope that the US side will cast away its 'persecutory delusion' and stop using others as excuses," he said.

"Some people in the US always view the Chinese military through tinted glasses of bias, cooking up the so-called 'Chinese military threat.' I believe this is precisely what obstructs exchanges between the two countries' militaries," Zhang added.