A Chinese military helicopter executed perilous maneuvers near a Philippine aircraft over Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.
According to PCG Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight at around 7 a.m. on Tuesday when the incident occurred.
A People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-Navy) helicopter, tail number 68, approached at 8:39 a.m., coming within just three meters of the BFAR aircraft’s port side and hovering above it.
“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers,” Tarriela said, emphasizing that the PLA-Navy violated International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations.
Despite China’s aggressive actions, Tarriela affirmed that the PCG and BFAR remain steadfast in asserting the Philippines’ sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.
Meanwhile, China’s Southern Theatre Command accused the Philippine aircraft of “intruding” into Chinese airspace over Scarborough Shoal, claiming the move violated China’s sovereignty. Chinese naval and air forces reportedly tracked and drove away the plane.
Bajo de Masinloc, located 124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales, falls within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, China continues to claim nearly the entire South China Sea despite overlapping claims from several Southeast Asian nations.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s expansive claims had “no legal basis.” However, Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.