Philippines Urges China to Halt “Provocative and Dangerous Actions” in South China Sea

The Philippines issued a stern call to Beijing on Saturday, demanding an immediate cessation of “provocative and dangerous actions” after accusing China of unjustifiably deploying flares from the China-occupied Subi Reef on August 22. The flares were reportedly launched as a Manila aircraft was conducting routine patrols in the region.

The South China Sea Task Force of the Philippines stated that the same aircraft encountered harassment from a Chinese jet fighter while conducting a surveillance flight near Scarborough Shoal on August 19. “Such actions undermine regional peace and security and further erode the image of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) with the international community,” the task force said in a statement.

There was no immediate response from the Chinese Embassy in Manila regarding these incidents, which occurred during the same week that both nations accused each other of dangerous maneuvers and ramming vessels in the disputed South China Sea. These events also follow an air incident between the Chinese and Philippine militaries near Scarborough Shoal, despite recent agreements between the two countries to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” in managing maritime disputes.

The United States also condemned China’s actions, with U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson stating on platform X that the U.S. joins the Philippines in calling on China to “cease provocative and dangerous actions that undermine a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

The Manila aircraft, operated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in coordination with the coast guard, was on a mission to monitor and intercept poachers encroaching on the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). According to the task force, the Chinese jet fighter deployed flares multiple times “at a dangerously close distance” from the BFAR aircraft, endangering the safety of the personnel onboard.

China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, deploying coast guard vessels to protect what it considers its territory. However, the Philippines, along with Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei, contest these claims. An international arbitral tribunal in 2016 ruled that Beijing’s claims have no basis under international law, awarding a landmark victory to the Philippines.

China has constructed seven artificial islands in the South China Sea, equipping some with radar, runways, and surface-to-air missiles, including Subi Reef, which is just 24 km from Thitu, the most strategically important of the nine features the Philippines occupies in the Spratly Islands.

“We firmly reiterate our call on the government of the People’s Republic of China to immediately cease all provocative and dangerous actions that threaten the safety of Philippine vessels and aircraft engaged in legitimate and regular activities within the country’s EEZ,” the task force concluded.