Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday condemned “unjust, illegal and reckless” exercises by the Chinese air force over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
According to the Philippine military, two Chinese aircraft Dropped Flare On Thursday, it crashed into the flight path of a Philippine light transport plane flying over Scarborough Shoal.
Two unnamed Philippine defense officials said The Associated Press reported that Chinese fighter jets flew “very close” to the Philippines. Turboprop aircraft At least eight flares were fired, and the Chinese military’s actions “put the lives of our pilots at real risk,” the official said.
“This incident posed a threat to a Philippine Air Force aircraft and its crew, disrupted lawful flights in airspace within Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction, and violated international laws and regulations governing aviation safety,” Philippine Defense Secretary General Romeo Bronner said. said Saturday.
On Sunday, Marcos Jr. said China’s “reckless” actions Collision avoidance agreement The two countries reached the agreement just a few weeks ago.
“We have only just begun to calm the seas and already there are concerns that our airspace will become unstable,” Marcos said.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the Chinese air force’s provocative actions were “a response we should get used to.”
Teodoro and the Philippine National Security Council called on China to resume deconfliction protocols and “cease all forms of provocative and dangerous actions.”
China’s Southern Theater Command refused to apologise for the risky interception, claiming the Philippine plane had “illegally entered Chinese airspace” and disrupted Chinese military exercises.
The Chinese military command insisted that “operations on the ground were professional, standardized, lawful and legitimate.”
