China’s military said it had expelled three Philippine aircraft from the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, marking the latest in a series of dangerous aerial encounters amid heightened bilateral tensions.
“On February 20, two Philippine C-208 aircraft and one N-22 aircraft illegally entered the airspace near China’s Nansha Islands [China’s name for the Spratlys],” said Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, in a statement on Friday.
Tian added that the PLA “maintained full control of the situation, issued warnings, and drove the aircraft away”.
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The C-208 is a modified aircraft equipped for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, while the N-22 is a twin-turboprop, high-wing light utility aircraft.
The PLA also released a recording of the warning issued, delivered in both Chinese and English: “Philippine military N-22, you are endangering the security of the Chinese reef. Leave immediately and keep far off so as to avoid any misunderstanding”.
The Spratly Islands are a vast group of reefs, shoals, atolls and small islets in the South China Sea. Situated around midway between Vietnam and the Philippines, and north of insular Malaysia, they are claimed – wholly or in part – by several countries in the region.
“Recently, the Philippine side has disregarded the facts, repeatedly discrediting China’s legitimate actions to safeguard its rights,” Tian said, referencing an incident on Tuesday when another “Philippine C-208 aircraft illegally entered China’s airspace over the Scarborough Shoal, repeatedly changing its altitude”.
The PLA also released 29 seconds of footage on Friday, featuring video from the warning issued by the guided-missile frigate Guangyuan, along with clips and maps that it said detailed the aircraft’s erratic manoeuvres on Tuesday.
“In just 218 seconds, the aircraft descended 920 metres in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, intentionally crossing the normal flight altitude of our patrol helicopters, which could have easily led to an accidental maritime or aerial incident,” Tian explained.
However, in a statement released on Wednesday, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce instead called the PLA actions “reckless”, citing a Chinese navy helicopter that flew within 3 metres (10 feet) of a Philippine patrol plane during a 30-minute encounter.
Bruce condemned “unsafe and irresponsible actions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy to interfere with a Philippine maritime air operation in the vicinity of Scarborough Reef”.
The disputed shoal is known as Huangyan Island in China and as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines.
Manila also accused China of engaging in “dangerous” behaviour, a claim Tian dismissed in his statement on Friday, adding that the Philippines was trying to “promote its illegal claims” after “provoking trouble first and then distorting the facts”.
Beijing said such tactics would ultimately be in vain. Tian reaffirmed China’s stance, stating that “such provocations are futile and will not deter China from safeguarding its national sovereignty”.
The PLA said its forces remained on high alert to ensure the peace and stability of the South China Sea region.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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