Philippines calls on China to stop ‘provocative and dangerous’ actions after flare incidents

The Philippines on Saturday called on Beijing to “immediately stop all provocative and dangerous actions” after accusing the country of “unjustifiably” firing flares from the Chinese-occupied Subi Reef on August 22 while a Manila plane was conducting patrols.

The same aircraft was also subjected to “harassment” by a Chinese jet fighter on August 19 while conducting a surveillance flight near Scarborough Reef, the Philippine South China Sea Task Force said in a statement.

“Such actions undermine regional peace and security and further damage the image of the People’s Republic of China in the international community,” the task force said.

The Chinese embassy in Manila had no immediate comment on the incidents. The incidents occurred in the same week that Manila and Beijing accused each other of ramming ships in the South China Sea and carrying out dangerous maneuvers.

Moreover, these incidents occurred less than two weeks after the air incident between the Chinese and Philippine militaries in Scarborough Reef, although the two countries had already agreed to “restore trust” and “rebuild” to better manage maritime disputes.

Manila's aircraft, belonging to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), in coordination with the Coast Guard, were tasked with monitoring and intercepting poachers who entered the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

The task force said the Chinese jet fighter was not provoked but fired multiple flares “at a dangerously close distance” to the BFAR aircraft.

“Their actions demonstrated a dangerous intent that compromised the safety of personnel on board the BFAR aircraft,” the task force statement said.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and has deployed an armada of coast guard vessels to protect what it considers its territory. The Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei dispute these claims.

An international arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing's claim had no basis in international law, handing the Philippines, which had filed the lawsuit, a historic victory.

China has built seven artificial islands in the South China Sea, equipping some of them with radar, runways and surface-to-air missiles. These include Subi Reef, just 24 kilometers away and visible from Thitu, the most strategically important of the nine Spratly Islands occupied by the Philippines.

“We strongly reiterate our appeal to the Government of the People's Republic of China to refrain from all provocative and dangerous actions that threaten the safety of Philippine vessels and aircraft engaged in legitimate and regular activities within the country's exclusive economic zone,” the task force said.