China says Philippine plane ‘intruded’ airspace over disputed waters

On Monday, Beijing cautioned Manila against "provocative acts" in the contested South China Sea, alleging a Philippine aircraft had violated airspace over Scarborough Shoal. This territory is claimed by China in whole, despite an international ruling finding no legal validity to the claim, and has seen frequent confrontations. The Philippine military reported that a Chinese fighter jet had interfered with a "routine military patrol" conducted by a Cessna 208 turboprop near Scarborough Shoal on Saturday.

According to China's Southern Theater Command, the Philippine plane had "illegally intruded into China's territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao" - China's designation for the disputed shoal. China's military spokesperson, Zhai Shichen, stated that the Chinese "naval and air forces... tracked and monitored the Philippine aircraft, and issued warnings to expel it in accordance with laws and regulations."

He asserted that the Philippines' actions "seriously violate China's sovereignty" and warned Manila to "stop rights violations and provocative acts immediately." On Sunday, the Philippine armed forces reported a second confrontation, this time near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The incidents occurred following a clash on Saturday in which a China Coast Guard ship reportedly rammed one of the Philippines' fisheries department boats in another part of the Spratlys.

In a separate statement, the Philippines said the China Coast Guard vessel "bears full responsibility for the incident."