Chinese Helicopter Comes Dangerously Close to Philippine Coast Guard Patrol Plane Over Disputed Shoal
Accusations are flying between Manila and Beijing following the latest encounter in the South China Sea.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese navy helicopter engaged in “dangerous flight maneuvers” as it approached its aircraft patrolling the South China Sea on Feb. 18.
“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers” during its flight, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a social media statement.
The Chinese military helicopter came within 10 feet of the port side of the Philippine aircraft, which had Coast Guard personnel and journalists onboard, according to Tarriela.
The encounter occurred around Scarborough Shoal, a triangular coral reef that has been a point of contention between Beijing and Manila in the region.
Located to the west of the Philippine island of Luzon, Scarborough Shoal is abundant in natural resources and is a crucial fishing ground for local Filipino villagers. International law recognizes the area as part of the Philippines’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
Since 2012, the Chinese regime has exerted control over the region as part of its broader efforts to claim sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea. A 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court found that Beijing lacked legal grounds for its historical claims in the area. The communist regime dismissed the ruling and increased its military and coast guard presence in the disputed areas to assert its claims.
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The Chinese military acknowledged the incident on Feb. 18 and accused the Philippine plane of “illegally intruding” into its airspace over the island, which China now calls “Huangyan,” as per a statement from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Command, responsible for operations in the South China Sea.
Senior Col. Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Command, stated that troops were on “high alert” and are dedicated to “resolutely defending the country’s sovereignty and security” as well as “peace and stability in the South China Sea region.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed Washington’s “serious concern over China’s coercive actions” in the South China Sea during a Jan. 24 phone call with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, as stated by the State Department announcement.
The United States has been an ally of the Philippines since 1951 and has a mutual defense treaty. With tensions escalating in the South China Sea, Washington has repeatedly reaffirmed its “ironclad” commitment to Manila, pledging to defend the Philippines against intimidation from the Chinese Communist Party.
During Rubio’s meeting with his Philippine counterpart on Feb. 14, they discussed ways to strengthen the alliance between the two countries to counter China’s destabilizing actions in the South China Sea, Rubio mentioned in a statement on social media platform X.
The discussion, which occurred during the Munich Security Conference in Germany, also touched on enhancing economic collaboration in crucial areas like infrastructure, critical minerals, and energy.
“Rubio not only reaffirmed U.S. commitment to the United States–Philippines Alliance but also expressed his eagerness to build a more invested and enduring relationship,” according to the State Department summary.
