The Philippines has accused China of “firing flares” as close as 15 metres (49 feet) away from one of its patrol aircraft, in the latest military confrontation between the two countries in the South China Sea.
According to a statement from Manila’s National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea on Saturday, a Chinese fighter jet “engaged in irresponsible and dangerous manoeuvres” on Monday, as a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane made a “maritime domain awareness flight” near Scarborough Shoal.
The disputed shoal is known as Huangyan Island in China, while the West Philippine Sea is Manila’s name for its exclusive economic zone in South China Sea waters.
Chinese aircraft “deployed flares multiple times at a dangerously close distance of approximately 15 metres” from the inspection aircraft, the Philippine statement said.
On Thursday, a Chinese aircraft also launched flares near the same plane from Subi Reef, a Beijing-held artificial island also claimed by Manila, according to the statement.
According to Agence France-Presse, China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that “necessary countermeasures” were taken “in accordance with the law, in order to protect its own sovereignty and security” after two Philippine military aircraft flew into its airspace over Subi Reef.
The ministry did not mention any incident on Monday, according to the French news agency.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, the scene of increasingly tense encounters with the Philippines over reefs, islands and other features claimed by both countries.
The tensions have raised concerns about accidents that could trigger a potential military conflict, which could bring in the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first visit to China next week. They are expected to discuss topics ranging from Taiwan to bilateral military dialogue and tensions in the South China Sea, according to a senior US official.
In another incident near Scarborough Shoal, Manila said two Chinese military aircraft made a “dangerous manoeuvre” and dropped flares in the path of a Philippine Air Force plane that was patrolling the atoll on August 8.
Beijing said the aircraft ignored its warnings and “disturbed the Chinese military’s normal exercises by intruding” into Scarborough Shoal, and it responded by sending sea and air personnel to “legally identify, verify, track, monitor, repeatedly warn and dispel” the Philippine plane.
The Scarborough Shoal is located 140km (87 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200km from China’s southernmost Hainan province.
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Beijing, Manila trade ‘ramming’ claims in latest South China Sea coastguard incident
Beijing, Manila trade ‘ramming’ claims in latest South China Sea coastguard incident
Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea overlap with neighbours including the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei.
But its tensions with Manila have become particularly inflamed since April, when the Philippines deployed one of its most advanced coastguard ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, to waters near the Sabina Shoal, known as Xianbin Reef in China and Escoda Shoal in the Philippines.
According to Manila, the ship was sent to monitor what it called Beijing’s illegal land reclamation activities at the atoll – an accusation Beijing denies.
The atoll has become a new flashpoint for potential conflict, as has the Philippine-held Second Thomas Shoal – known as Renai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.
On Thursday, state-owned Chinese newspaper Global Times reported that the Philippines was expanding military infrastructure on Thitu Island, which Beijing calls Zhongye Island and claims is “illegally occupied” by the Philippines. The area is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, known in China as the Nansha Islands.
The report cited Chinese experts who suggested the Philippines was expanding military infrastructure on the island to potentially invite the stationing of US and Japanese forces.
Beijing has blamed the escalation on Manila and maintains that its actions to protect its claims are legitimate and in accordance with the law.
China has rejected a 2016 ruling by an international tribunal, in a case brought by Manila, that dismissed Beijing’s claim to much of the South China Sea.
In its statement on Saturday, Manila urged Beijing to “immediately cease all provocative and dangerous actions that threaten the safety of Philippine vessels and aircraft engaged in legitimate and regular activities within Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone”.
