Philippines calls Chinese air force action ‘illegal, reckless’

(First Update) President Ferdinand Marcos said, “We have barely begun to calm the situation and already we are concerned about possible instability in our airspace.”

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Sunday, August 11, condemned Chinese air force actions in waters of the South China Sea claimed by both countries, calling them “unjustifiable, illegal and reckless.”

Manila and Beijing accused each other of disrupting their military on Saturday, August 10 Actions around Scarborough Shoal This is the first time the Philippines has complained about dangerous actions by Chinese aircraft (rather than navy or coast guard vessels) since Marcos took office in 2022.

The Philippine military on Saturday condemned the “dangerous and provocative act” of two Chinese aircraft dropping flares into the path of Philippine aircraft during a routine patrol around the reef on Thursday, August 8.

China’s military’s Southern Theater Command countered that the Philippines had disrupted its training and accused Manila of “illegally intruding” into Chinese airspace.

On Sunday, Marcos urged China to act responsibly at sea and in the air.

“We have barely begun to calm our seas and we are already concerned about possible instability in our airspace,” Marcos said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office on social media platform X.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Huangyan Island is one of the most disputed islands and reefs in Asia and the focus of disputes over sovereignty and fishing rights.

Beijing claims nearly the entire South China Sea, a passage for more than $3 trillion in maritime trade each year, including portions claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has rejected a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that Beijing’s expansive claims had no basis in international law. – Rappler.com