In a bold statement from Manila, the U.S. Department of State has fiercely criticized China’s recent aerial antics, labeling them as ‘reckless’ and a direct ‘threat’ to safe navigation and overflight in the contentious South China Sea. The incident involved a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter, bearing the tail number 68, which engaged in dangerous maneuvers towards a Filipino Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft. This occurred while the Filipino plane was on a routine maritime surveillance mission over Scarborough Shoal’s territorial airspace.
This provocative action by China comes on the heels of another alarming incident where a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian aircraft during a routine patrol in the same region. In response, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce reaffirmed the U.S.’s commitment to stand by its allies, particularly the Philippines, in the face of such aggressive behavior.
Bruce condemned the Chinese PLA Navy’s interference with the Philippine maritime air operation, emphasizing that such actions jeopardize the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. She stressed the U.S.’s resolve to support its allies and partners to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Furthermore, Bruce urged China to cease its coercive tactics and resolve disputes peacefully, adhering to international law. She reminded that the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty covers armed attacks on Philippine forces, vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard, throughout the South China Sea.
Echoing these sentiments, European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro expressed ‘deep concern’ over the incident. He highlighted that such reckless maneuvers violate International Civil Aviation Organization regulations and put lives at unnecessary risk. Santoro affirmed the EU’s solidarity with the Philippines in defending international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Awards on the South China Sea.