China fighter jets endanger PAF patrol plane with risky maneuvers

MANILA, Philippines — Two People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jets executed “dangerous and provocative actions” against a Philippine Air Force (PAF) plane patrolling the skies in the vicinity of Panatag Shoal, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday.

Two China air force aircraft “executed a dangerous maneuver at around 9 a.m. and dropped flares in the path of our NC-212i,” AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said, recounting the alleged incident that happened on Thursday over Panatag Shoal.

He said the military “strongly condemns the dangerous and provocative actions of the PLAAF that endangered the lives of our personnel undertaking maritime security operations recently within Philippine maritime zones.”

“The incident posed a threat to Philippine Air Force aircraft and its crew, interfered with lawful flight operations in airspace within Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction and contravened international law and regulations governing safety of aviation,” he stressed.

Brawner reported that the pilots and crew of the NC-212i safely returned to Clark Air Base at around 10 a.m. with all personnel on board unharmed.

“The AFP has reported the incident to the Department of Foreign Affairs and relevant government agencies. We reaffirm our commitment to exercise our rights in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the Chicago Convention,” he said.

This is the first time that Philippine and Chinese military planes figured in a confrontation during a maritime patrol operation in the West Philippine Sea.

Recent incidents of harassment, dangerous maneuvers, ramming and water cannon attacks have been happening at sea, usually near Ayungin Shoal during rotation and resupply missions to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre.

China continues to insist on its expansive maritime claims over the South China Sea, including areas within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, despite a 2016 Arbitral Award rejecting China’s claims.

Various nations including the United States, Japan, Australia and members of the European Union have repeatedly called on China to stop what it has been doing while stressing that the Arbitral Ruling is final and binding on all parties concerned.

Despite such calls, Chinese ships including those from the People’s Liberation Army Navy, the China Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels continue to swarm and roam the West Philippine Sea.

‘Rules-based approach’

Amid issues on sovereign rights in the South China Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) hopes its counterparts in Southeast Asia will join in upholding a rules-based approach in asserting their respective claims.

“Being ASEAN nations, it is good to have a unified direction which is the rules-based approach of the Philippines,” said Captain Lawrence Roque, commanding officer of BRP Gabriela Silang, during joint maritime exercises off Manila Bay between PCG and the Vietnam Coast Guard last Friday that focused on “humanitarian efforts like firefighting, search and rescue, and lifesaving.”

PCG’s BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) and VCG’s CSB 8002 opened their respective water cannons to douse water on another ship, while rigid-hulled inflatable boats also recovered floating objects disguised as persons who needed rescue.

Assets like helicopters and drones would be a great help “to pinpoint exact locations of victims or those who need help,” Roque shared with journalists who covered the joint exercise.

Roque expressed hope that Vietnam “will also follow the Philippine government in enhancing, following rules-based approach in the West Philippine Sea.”

The joint maritime exercise was a product of the memorandum of understanding that the Philippines and Vietnam entered in late January 2024. Both countries established a “joint coast guard committee” that would “discuss common issues and interest and establish a hotline communication mechanism,” according to earlier reports.

The PCG repeatedly maintained that the use of water cannons should be for firefighting purposes only, after several times that Philippine forces were water cannoned by the China Coast Guard, particularly during resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

China declared as “illegal” the 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidated its so-called nine dash line claim in the entire South China Sea as well as upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. — Ghio Ong