Summary Philippines to file a diplomatic protest after Chinese jets drop flares near its plane in disputed South China Sea. Scarborough Shoal incident is latest in series of Chinese intimidation tactics in ongoing territorial dispute with regional countries. Despite Chinese warnings, Philippines vows to continue patrols in area to safeguard sovereignty within international law guidelines.
The Philippines will file a diplomatic complaint after Chinese military jets dropped flares into the path of one of its planes on patrol over the South China Sea. This isn't the first time Chinese planes have committed such maneuvers against foreign countries. Chinese aircraft drop flares above Philippine plane Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has condemned the "illegal and reckless" incident in the South China Sea, which he determined as "Philippine sovereign airspace.
" The incident occurred above the Scarborough Shoal on the morning of August 8th - according to reports, two unspecified People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft dropped flares while above a Philippine Air Force (PAF) NC-212i maritime patrol plane that was operating a routine patrol in the area. While it appears the flares did not impact the plane - which returned to base safely - the PAF blasted the "dangerous and provocative actions," and the country's foreign secretary, Enrique Manalo, has promised to file a diplomatic protest against China. As per a statement by the PAF, "The incident posed a threat to Philippine Air Force aircraft and its crew, interfered with lawful flight operations in airspace within Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction, and contravened international law and regulations governing safety of aviation.
" The Scarborough Shoal is located around 220km from Luzon, Philippines, and around 900km from the nearest Chinese landmass. It is one of the central flashpoints of the ongoing South China Sea territorial dispute between China and several regional countries. A day before the flare incident, Chinese forces had conducted military exercises in the area.
Read more: Why do military aircraft have flares as part of their equipment? The majority of intimidatory skirmishes between Chinese and Philippine forces have been naval, which includes a recent incident in June when a Filipino sailor lost a thumb after the Chinese coast guard stormed Philippine Navy boats wielding knives and axes. China claims lawful action In response, the Southern Theater Command of the PLA justified the actions of its aircraft by saying it had "lawfully" driven away the PAF plane following "repeated warnings." It claimed it has " indisputable sovereignty" over Scarborough Shoal and warned the Philippines to " immediately stop its infringement, provocation, distortion and hype .
" The helicopter narrowly avoided being hit. China has previous when it comes to incidents like this. The most high-profile in recent months occurred in May, when a Chinese J-10 Chengdu fighter jet dropped flares into the path of an Australian MH60R Seahawk helicopter.
On that occasion, China again justified its actions by saying it warned the Australian chopper multiple times , adding that it was approaching too close to Chinese airspace. Philippines to continue patrols The Philippines has said it will not back down from the area and will continue to conduct patrols as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows countries access to waters around their sovereign territory. As per a Channel News Asia report, military spokesperson Francel Padilla said in an interview with a local radio station, "The Armed Forces of the Philippines reaffirm our determination to conduct regular surveillance operations in line with international law.
We will safeguard our country's sovereignty and security over our maritime domain.".
