South China Sea: Manila says flares fired at aircraft near Subi, Mischief Reefs

Chinese forces allegedly fired flares at a Philippine aircraft near Subi and Mischief Reefs in the South China Sea, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The incident occurred on Monday as the unarmed plane was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight over the Spratly Islands. PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela shared video footage on social media which allegedly shows flares being discharged from land as the aircraft approached the artificial islands.

The footage depicts a lighthouse resembling the structure built by China on Subi Reef in 2016, along with airfields, hangars, radar installations, harbors, and other military infrastructure similar to what has been constructed on Subi and Mischief Reefs. Chinese forces first contacted the aircraft via radio as it flew over Subi Reef, followed by the firing of flares.

The same actions were repeated over Mischief Reef before the plane landed at Thitu Island, known as Pagasa by the Philippines. In April, the PCG also accused Chinese forces of firing flares at its aircraft over Mischief and Subi, citing it as an "act of bullying." Subi Reef, also known as Zhubi in China, is located in the western Spratly Islands and is the second largest artificial island in the Spratlys after China's large-scale reclamation efforts.

Mischief Reef, or Panganiban Reef in the Philippines, is the largest artificial island in the archipelago, with reclaimed land exceeding 5 square kilometers. Beijing maintains personnel at both reefs, which are claimed by the Philippines as part of its Kalayaan Island Group, and China claims them as the Nansha Islands. Both reefs are also contested by other South China Sea claimants such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila have been on the rise in recent years, with frequent confrontations reported around Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal.