China’s military announced on Thursday that it expelled three Philippine aircraft that had illegally entered airspace near China’s Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea. According to Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, the PLA tracked and warned off two C-208 aircraft and one N-22 aircraft from the Philippines.
Tian criticized recent actions by the Philippines, accusing Manila of repeatedly distorting China’s legitimate maritime rights and engaging in smear campaigns. He highlighted a separate incident on February 18, where a Philippine aircraft unlawfully entered Chinese airspace over Huangyan Dao and erratically altered its altitude multiple times.
The aircraft descended 920 meters in just 218 seconds and deliberately flew close to a Chinese patrol helicopter, a maneuver Tian described as “unprofessional and dangerous.” He condemned the Philippines for falsely claiming that China’s actions were “dangerous,” stating that Manila was trying to promote unlawful claims by distorting the facts.
“Such clumsy tactics are destined to fail,” Tian warned, adding that Chinese forces remain on high alert to defend national sovereignty and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
