Manila, March 25 -- China's continued claims on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and parts of the country's territory are part of its efforts to ensure a continued grip on power, a ranking Philippine Navy official said Tuesday.

In a press briefing, Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said these messages are possibly targeted at different audiences.

"Number one, it could be (the) internal audience of the Chinese Communist Party in order to provide a strong narrative to support their claim of power. Number two, it could be the Filipino patronization, and it could be the international audience," he added.

Trinidad, however, said these Chinese claims, including allegations that Palawan is part of China, are easil...