Manila [Philippines], August 11 (ANI): The Philippines on Sunday denounced China’s “unjustified, illegal and reckless” actions against one of its planes that was conducting patrols earlier in the week in the disputed South China Sea.
Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr in a statement “strongly condemns” the air incident and stands by the brave men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), especially the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
The country’s state news agency cited the Armed Forces of the Philippines reporting on August 10 about the “dangerous and provocative actions” of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) which harassed a PAF aircraft conducting maritime patrols over Bajo de Masinloc, located some 120 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The air incident took place in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) when two Chinese fighter jets executed a dangerous manoeuvre at around 9 a.m. and dropped flares in the path of the NC-212i on August 8.
Notably, Scarborough Shoal is controlled by China. China seized the shoal in 2012, following a standoff with the Philippines. Sovereignty of islands in the area has not been determined by an international court. Meanwhile, the Philippines refer to it as the West Philippine Sea.
“The actions of the People’s Liberation Army – Air Force aircraft were unjustified, illegal and reckless, especially as the PAF aircraft was undertaking a routine maritime security operation in Philippine sovereign airspace,” the Presidential Palace, Malacanang, said in a statement posted on social media.
“We have hardly started to calm the waters, and it is already worrying that there could be instability in our airspace,” it added.
China has however claimed that Philippine aircraft “illegally entered the airspace” over its Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. In a statement released by the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday as cited by China’s state-run Global Times.
Philippines and China recently reached an agreement to allow the seamless resupply of Filipino troops in Ayungin Shoal, state media PNA reported
As per a statement attributed to the Presidential Palace, President Marcos stated the Philippines remains committed to “proper diplomacy and peaceful means of resolving disputes”. He urged China to “demonstrate that it is fully capable of responsible action, both in the seas and in the skies.”
China claims the entirety of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea where Manila enjoys sovereignty, refusing to recognize a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its claims and affirmed the Philippines’ EEZ, as per PNA.
The Philippines has been drumming up support from its allies in the international community, including longtime military ally the United States, while also strengthening the capabilities of its armed forces.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media Xinhua in an editorial stated that the current Philippine Marcos government has been “actively engaging in reckless provocations” in the South China Sea, while “misleading the international community by exaggerating a void and null “arbitration award” eight years ago to conceal the country’s infringements on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests.”
It termed the South China Sea arbitration case “a pure political drama” staged in the name of the law “with the United States pulling strings behind the scenes.” (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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