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South China Sea
ChinaMilitary

Chinese aircraft and Philippine plane in close encounter over Scarborough Shoal

Chinese helicopter comes within 3 metres of plane, report says, posing safety risk to its pilots and passengers

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An aircraft identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as a Chinese navy helicopter flies near a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane during an aerial reconnaissance flight over Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
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The Chinese military said it expelled a Philippine plane from airspace over Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday in a manoeuvre that the Philippine coastguard described as reckless.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said a C-208 light utility plane sent by the Philippines “illegally invaded the airspace” above the shoal, known in China as Huangyan Island and in the Philippines as Panatag Shoal or Bajo De Masinloc.

“Our naval and air forces legally tracked, monitored and warned the aircraft to leave. The actions of the Philippines seriously violated China’s sovereignty and relevant international laws and Chinese regulations,” Tian Junli, spokesman for the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command, said.

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Chinese military helicopter and Philippine patrol plane in close encounter over Scarborough Shoal

Chinese military helicopter and Philippine patrol plane in close encounter over Scarborough Shoal

According to the Philippine coastguard, the Chinese navy conducted dangerous air manoeuvres by flying close to a government aircraft patrolling the shoal, Reuters reported.

“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers,” the coastguard said, adding that the government fisheries aircraft was conducting “a maritime domain awareness flight”.

An aircraft identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as a Chinese navy helicopter (left) flies near a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane during an aerial reconnaissance flight at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
An aircraft identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as a Chinese navy helicopter (left) flies near a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane during an aerial reconnaissance flight at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Associated Press reported that a Chinese navy helicopter flew within 10 feet (3 metres) of a Philippine patrol plane during a tense 30-minute stand-off.

The news agency said that one of its journalists was aboard the plane during the encounter.

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