Metro Manila, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday, Aug. 11, urged China to show it could undertake “responsible action” in both seas and skies as he condemned a recent incident involving “illegal” actions of Chinese planes over Scarborough Shoal.
On Saturday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said two aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army – Air Force (PLAAF) “executed a dangerous maneuver” and “dropped flares” in the path of a Philippine Air Force (PAF) light transport plane conducting a routine maritime patrol over Scarborough Shoal on Thursday, Aug. 8.
READ: AFP chief: Chinese planes ‘endangered’ Philippine Air Force patrol over Bajo de Masinloc
“The actions of the [PLAAF] aircraft were unjustified, illegal and reckless, especially as the PAF aircraft was undertaking a routine maritime security operation in Philippine sovereign airspace,” Marcos said in a statement from the Palace.
The chief executive “strongly” condemned the incident and “stands by our brave men and women of the AFP, especially the [PAF].”
“We have hardly started to calm the waters, and it is already worrying that there could be instability in our airspace,” Marcos said.
He said the country will “always remain committed to proper diplomacy and peaceful means of resolving disputes.”
“However, we strongly urge China to demonstrate that it is fully capable of responsible action, both in the seas and in the skies,” the president added.
This was the first time the Philippine military under the Marcos administration complained of an incident involving the Chinese air force.
The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese PLA, meanwhile, on Saturday claimed that the PAF plane “despite repeated warnings from China, insisted on illegally intruding into the airspace of Huangyan Island,” which disrupted training activities.
China’s naval and air forces carried out identification, tracking, warning, and expulsion in accordance with the law, it added.
“The on-site operation was professional, abided by norms, legitimate and legal,” the PLA said, urging the Philippines to stop what it called infringement and provocation.
Scarborough Shoal is a flashpoint in the region. The Philippines calls it Bajo de Masinloc while China refers to it as Huangyan Island.
The atoll is located around 120 nautical miles from mainland Zambales, and is considered within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
China rejected the 2016 Arbitral Award which invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea. — with reports from Reuters
