The Philippine government has taken a firm stance against China’s actions in the South China Sea, filing a diplomatic protest after Chinese fighter jets engaged in a dangerous maneuver near a Philippine air force patrol plane. The incident, which occurred over the disputed Scarborough Shoal, involved Chinese jets firing flares in the path of the Philippine NC-212i light transport plane. This marked the first such aerial encounter since tensions escalated between Beijing and Manila in the strategically vital seaway last year.
Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner Jr., while confirming no injuries or damage, condemned the Chinese actions, highlighting the potential for a tragic outcome. He emphasized the danger posed by the flares, stating that contact with the aircraft could have resulted in damage to the propeller, intake, or even a fire.
Echoing this sentiment, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. characterized the Chinese actions as “unjustified, illegal and reckless.” The Philippine government task force overseeing the South China Sea issued a strong statement calling on China to cease all provocative and hazardous acts that could endanger Filipino personnel and undermine regional peace.
Despite the incident, the Philippine government has vowed to intensify its monitoring of its airspace. China, however, maintains a different narrative, claiming the Philippine aircraft “illegally” entered airspace above the shoal, which it claims as its own, disrupting its combat training activities. The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army stated that it sent jets and ships to identify, track, and drive away the Philippine aircraft, warning the Philippines to “stop its infringement, provocation, distortion and hyping-up.”
This incident mirrors similar actions reported by the United States, Australia, and Canada in the South China Sea, where those nations have deployed forces to promote freedom of navigation and overflight. China has consistently expressed its displeasure with these deployments, deeming them a threat to regional security.
The Scarborough Shoal, along with the Second Thomas Shoal, have become flashpoints in the South China Sea, with overlapping territorial claims by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. However, tensions have particularly escalated between China and the Philippines in these areas. Washington has pledged its commitment to defending the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships, and aircraft come under attack, including in the South China Sea.
