The United States envoy to the Philippines yesterday condemned “dangerous” maneuvers by a Chinese military helicopter against a Philippine government plane over Scarborough shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
On Tuesday, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela reported that The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight at around 7 a.m. when the incident occurred.
The BFAR aircraft, with Coast Guard personnel and photojournalists onboard, was approached by a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) helicopter which came as close as three meters to the aircraft’s port side and hovered above it.
“We condemn the dangerous maneuvers by a [People’s Liberation Army Navy] helicopter that endangered pilots and passengers on a Philippine air mission,” US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said on X (formerly Twitter).
“We call on China to refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law. #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific,” she added.
The PLA Southern Theater Command however accused the Philippines of spreading “false narratives” about the incident. It claimed that it was the BFAR aircraft intruding in the air space of China.
“Huangyan Dao is China’s inherent territory. Without the approval of the Chinese government, the Philippine aircraft illegally intruded into Chinese airspace. Forces of the theater command have to resolutely safeguard our national sovereignty and security,” it said in a statement.
In response, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday that China must respect Philippine sovereignty and comply with international law.
“The AFP asserts that the People’s Liberation Army-Navy’s (PLAN) illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) must stop,” said AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla in a statement.
Padilla urged China’s PLAN to maintain regional peace by adhering to international law and promoting rules-based order. She acknowledged that the actions of the Chinese aircraft were against globally accepted norms.
“This is a blatant disregard for internationally-accepted norms on good airmanship and flight safety,” she said.
Scarborough Shoal, also known as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinlo, is situated 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, placing it within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Military to China: Respect Philippine sovereignty.”