China said the recent actions of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) over the Scarborough Shoal in the highly-contested West Philippine Sea last August 8 was consistent with international laws, claiming that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) intruded into its supposed territory.
“On August 7 and 8, Philippine military aircraft twice intruded into the adjacent airspace of Huangyan Dao, which gravely infringed upon China’s sovereignty and violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in a statement.
“The Chinese military took necessary and lawful measures in response, and their maneuvers at the scene were professional and consistent with Chinese laws and international law,” he added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier denounced the actions of the PLAAF after the incident saying it was “unjustified, illegal and reckless.”
According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), two PLAAF fighter type aircraft executed dangerous maneuvers and dropped flares in the path of an unarmed NC-212i PAF propeller aircraft conducting a routine maritime patrol over Scarborough Shoalat around 9 a.m.
Beijing’s latest act of aggression has provoked the Philippine government to file another diplomatic protest.
The 2016 arbitration ruling by an international court in The Hague upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone over China’s historical claims in the disputed South China Sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Despite being a signatory of the UNCLOS, China has never recognized the decision.
China also claims sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, which it calls “Huangyan Dao” and treats it as part of the Zhongsha Islands.
Further, China called on the Philippines “to stop the infringement activities and provocations at Huangyan Dao at once.”
“Such wanton acts must stop. China will continue to act resolutely in accordance with the law to firmly safeguard our nation’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry also said. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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