(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines said China shot flares at a plane that was conducting a patrol over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, and called on Beijing to immediately stop all “provocative and dangerous” actions.
The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft was on a routine patrol flight in coordination with the coast guard when China “unjustifiably” fired off flares from Subi Reef, Manila’s task force on the disputed maritime area said in a statement on Saturday. The reef is a “militarized illegally reclaimed artificial island by China” but within the territorial sea of the Philippines-occupied Thitu Island, it said.
The bureau’s aircraft was also targeted by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force on Aug. 19 during a similar flight near Scarborough Shoal, according to the statement. In that incident, a Chinese fighter jet, without provocation, fired multiple flares that flew at a “dangerously close” distance of about 15 meters (49 feet) from the fisheries bureau’s plane, it said.
China and the Philippines signed an interim agreement in July on their maritime disputes but sporadic clashes still occur. Earlier this month, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing, saying two Chinese air force aircraft performed “dangerous” maneuvers and dropped flares in the path of a Philippine Air Force plane patrolling over Scarborough Shoal in the contested waters.
“The Philippines remains steadfast in exercising its right to strengthen maritime domain awareness within our sovereign territory, national airspace and exclusive economic zone, as well as on the high seas,” the task force said.
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