A Chinese navy helicopter came within 3 meters of a Philippine patrol plane over the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday. The Philippine pilot radioed warnings about the dangerously close proximity of the helicopter.
The Chinese helicopter’s actions were an attempt to force a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Cessna Caravan turboprop out of what China claims is its airspace above the Scarborough Shoal.
An Associated Press journalist and other international media aboard the Philippine plane witnessed the 30-minute standoff. Despite the close proximity of the hovering Chinese helicopter, the Philippine plane continued its low-altitude patrol in cloudy conditions.
The Philippine pilot repeatedly warned the Chinese helicopter via radio, citing the endangerment of the crew and passengers and violation of FAA and ICAO safety standards.
The pilot’s radio transmissions highlighted the dangerously close distance of the helicopter, referencing the safety standards of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Philippine aircraft did not need to adjust its flight path or altitude to avoid a collision.
The Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to asserting Philippine sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, despite China’s actions.
The statement clarified that “West Philippine Sea” is the Philippine name for the area in the South China Sea.
The Chinese military, referring to the shoal by its Chinese name, Huangyan Island, claimed the Philippine plane illegally entered Chinese airspace without permission.
Senior Col. Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Chinese Southern Theater Command, stated that naval and air forces were deployed to track and warn the plane. This was reported in an online statement.
The Chinese statement accused the Philippines of misrepresenting the situation.
This incident, which the Philippine government is expected to protest, is the latest escalation in the long-standing territorial dispute in a vital shipping lane involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
Confrontations at sea between China and the Philippines have increased over the past two years near Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoal, where a grounded Philippine navy ship serves as a military outpost, now heavily surrounded by Chinese vessels.
China’s naval presence around Scarborough intensified following a 2012 standoff with Philippine ships.
In 2013, the Philippines initiated international arbitration, resulting in a 2016 UN-backed ruling that invalidated China’s expansive South China Sea claims.
China, a signatory to UNCLOS, rejected the ruling and continues to disregard it.
Facing China’s military power, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration has employed a strategy of transparency, including embedding journalists in patrols to expose China’s actions.
The Philippines is simultaneously strengthening its security alliances with the U.S., Japan, Australia, France, Canada, the European Union, and other Western nations.
The United States has a treaty obligation to defend the Philippines against armed attacks, including in the South China Sea. China has cautioned against outside involvement in what it considers a regional matter.