On Tuesday, February 18, a Chinese navy helicopter approached within 10 feet (3 meters) of a Philippine patrol aircraft in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Filipino pilot issued a radio warning to the Chinese, saying, “You are flying too close, it is very dangerous.”
According to the Associated Press, a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Cessna aircraft was conducting a patrol over the South China Sea when the Chinese navy helicopter closed in, attempting to drive the Philippine aircraft away from the airspace over the Huangyan Island.
Reporters from the Associated Press and other invited foreign media witnessed the tense standoff between the Chinese and Philippine military aircraft for 30 minutes. The Philippine aircraft continued low-altitude patrols around the Huangyan Island, while the Chinese navy helicopter circled above or flew to its left in cloudy weather.
“You are flying too close, it is very dangerous and jeopardizes the lives of our crew and passengers,” the Philippine pilot radioed to the Chinese navy helicopter, adding, “Stay away from us, maintain the distance, you are violating safety standards set by the US Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization.”
The Philippine pilot was referring to the standard distance required between aircraft to prevent accidents, as mandated by the US Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources expressed their commitment to “upholding our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea”, despite China’s aggressive actions.
The Chinese military argued that the Philippine aircraft had entered Chinese territorial airspace around the Huangyan Island without permission. A spokesperson for the Chinese Southern Theater Command stated online that the Chinese military tracked and issued warnings to drive away the Philippine aircraft.
This incident marks the latest flashpoint in decades of tension between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, a territorial dispute involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
Over the past two years, tensions have escalated between the Chinese and Philippine Coast Guards at the Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal. Since 1999, a stranded Philippine Navy ship has been moored at the military outpost and has been surrounded by Chinese Coast Guard, Navy, and other vessels.
In 2016, a UN-backed arbitration tribunal ruled that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea were invalid under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, China rejected the ruling and disregarded it, leading to international condemnation.
In response, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. invited Philippine and foreign journalists to participate in Philippine military patrols at sea and in the air to expose China’s increasingly aggressive provocations.
The Philippines has also strengthened its security alliances with the United States, Japan, Australia, France, Canada, the European Union, and other Western countries to enhance its external defense capabilities.
The United States has stated that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if its military forces, ships, or aircraft come under armed attack, as the Philippines is a treaty ally of the United States.