China says Philippine plane ‘intruded’ airspace over disputed waters

Beijing has admonished Manila for what it calls provocative actions in the disputed South China Sea, alleging a violation of airspace by a Philippine aircraft over the weekend. China asserts sovereignty over most of the sea, despite a ruling that contradicts this claim. The conflict has escalated recently, with confrontations occurring frequently.

The Philippine armed forces reported on Saturday that a Chinese fighter jet had interfered with a routine military patrol conducted by a Cessna 208 turboprop near Scarborough Shoal. Beijing's military disclosed that the Philippine plane had unlawfully intruded into China's territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao, the Chinese name for the disputed shoal.

According to a military spokesman, Chinese naval and air forces monitored the situation and issued warnings to the Philippine aircraft to depart, as per legal and regulatory procedures.

Senior Captain Zhai Shichen emphasized that the Philippine actions significantly infringed upon China's sovereignty. The Philippine armed forces detailed a second confrontation on Sunday in the Spratly Islands, further south within the South China Sea. This latest incident follows a similar clash two weeks prior, where China accused a Philippine Coast Guard ship of ramming one of its fisheries department boats in another area of the Spratlys. Beijing later attributed responsibility for the incident to the Philippine vessel.