Philippine officials reported that a fisheries bureau plane from the country was menaced by flares discharged from a Chinese island base during a routine patrol in the South China Sea. This incident is the most recent in a series of territorial disputes between Beijing and Manila regarding one of the world’s busiest trade routes, where conflicts have expanded from the disputed waters to the airspace above.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plane was on a mission near Subi Reef when it witnessed flares being launched from the fishing atoll, which has been transformed by China into a militarized island base, according to a statement from a Philippine government interagency task force.
No specific details were given regarding the proximity of the flares to the Philippine plane or whether it continued its patrol to monitor for poachers in the Philippines’ internationally acknowledged exclusive economic zone.
On a previous occasion on Aug. 19, the same Philippine fisheries plane encountered “harassment” when a Chinese air force fighter jet engaged in perilous maneuvers, releasing flares at an extremely close distance of approximately 15 meters (yards) near the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippine task force, consisting of the Department of National Defense, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine coast guard, emphasized that the Chinese fighter jet’s actions were hazardous and jeopardized the safety of the personnel on the BFAR aircraft. While Chinese officials did not immediately respond to the incident, they have accused Philippine vessels and aircraft of trespassing into what they claim to be Chinese territory in the sea passage.
The Philippine task force called on the Chinese government to halt all provocative and dangerous actions that threaten the safety of Philippine vessels and aircraft engaged in legitimate activities within Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone, citing that such actions disrupt regional peace and security and damage China’s image internationally.
In a separate dispute on Aug. 8 over the Scarborough Shoal, Philippine authorities reported that two Chinese jets flew dangerously close, discharging a series of flares in the path of a Philippine air force patrol plane, marking the first such aerial encounter amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea in 2023.
No injuries or damages were reported from that incident, but Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., the Philippine military chief, condemned the Chinese actions, emphasizing the potential catastrophic consequences that could have arisen. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila subsequently lodged a diplomatic protest against Beijing.
Chinese military officials asserted that a Philippine air force aircraft illegitimately entered the airspace above the Scarborough, a territory also claimed by China, disrupting their combat training operations at the time. China’s Southern Theater Command disclosed that they dispatched jets and ships to identify, track, and expel the Philippine aircraft, cautioning the Philippines to desist from their alleged infringement, provocation, distortion, and escalation of tensions.
Notably, the United States, Australia, and Canada have documented similar incidents involving Chinese air force planes in the South China Sea, where these nations have deployed forces to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight. China has expressed discontentment at military deployments by the U.S. and its allies in the disputed region, labeling it as a threat to regional security.