China’s military said it had expelled three Philippine aircraft from the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, marking the latest in a series of dangerous aerial encounters amid heightened bilateral tensions.
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“On February 20, two Philippine C-208 aircraft and one N-22 aircraft illegally entered the airspace near China’s Nansha Islands [China’s name for the Spratlys],” said Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, in a statement on Friday.
Tian added that the PLA “maintained full control of the situation, issued warnings, and drove the aircraft away”.
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Chinese military helicopter and Philippine patrol plane in close encounter over Scarborough Shoal
Chinese military helicopter and Philippine patrol plane in close encounter over Scarborough Shoal
The C-208 is a modified aircraft equipped for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, while the N-22 is a twin-turboprop, high-wing light utility aircraft.
The PLA also released a recording of the warning issued, delivered in both Chinese and English: “Philippine military N-22, you are endangering the security of the Chinese reef. Leave immediately and keep far off so as to avoid any misunderstanding”.
The Spratly Islands are a vast group of reefs, shoals, atolls and small islets in the South China Sea. Situated around midway between Vietnam and the Philippines, and north of insular Malaysia, they are claimed – wholly or in part – by several countries in the region.
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“Recently, the Philippine side has disregarded the facts, repeatedly discrediting China’s legitimate actions to safeguard its rights,” Tian said, referencing an incident on Tuesday when another “Philippine C-208 aircraft illegally entered China’s airspace over the Scarborough Shoal, repeatedly changing its altitude”.