The Philippine government filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing after Chinese jets flew dangerously close and fired flares at a Philippine air force patrol plane over the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The hostile actions by the Chinese jets were condemned by Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. who highlighted the potential danger of the encounter. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called the actions by the Chinese air force jets “unjustified, illegal, and reckless.” Despite this, the Philippine government task force overseeing the South China Sea called for an end to provocative and hazardous acts by China in the region. The encounter has led to intensified monitoring of Philippine airspace.
The Chinese Southern Theater Command stated that a Philippine air force aircraft had illegally entered the airspace above the shoal, which China claims, and was consequently driven away. China has often reacted negatively to military deployments by the U.S. and its allies in the disputed region, citing it as a danger to regional security. The establishment of an air defense identification zone over the South China Sea, similar to the one declared over the East China Sea in 2013, has been suggested. This move would aim to demonstrate control over the air in the region.
The South China Sea is a hotly contested area with multiple countries, including China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand, making territorial claims. Tensions have particularly escalated between Chinese and Philippine forces in the Scarborough Shoal and the Second Thomas Shoal. The U.S. has reiterated its commitment to defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack in the region.
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