The Philippine Coast Guard said Chinese vessels fired three flares toward its patrol plane conducting a routine flight in the disputed South China Sea on Dec. 6, the latest incident in a pattern of aggressive Chinese behaviors aimed at asserting its territorial claims in the region.
Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the South China Sea, said in an X post that the Philippine aircraft took off from a local airport on the morning of Dec. 6 for a maritime domain awareness flight over the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratly Islands.
Tarriela said the flight was part of his country’s mandate to monitor the marine environment, evaluate the state of fish stocks, and assess the well-being of Filipino fishermen in the region….
Philippines Says China Fired Flares at Patrol Plane
