Philippines Says China Shot Flares at Its Patrol Plane Over Disputed South China Sea
- China deployed flares from Subi Reef in reclaimed island
- The same plane faced harrassment from China earlier August
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The Philippines said China shot flares at a plane that was conducting a patrol over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, and called on Beijing to immediately stop all “provocative and dangerous” actions.
The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft was on a routine patrol flight in coordination with the coast guard when China “unjustifiably” fired off flares from Subi Reef, Manila’s task force on the disputed maritime area said in a statement on Saturday. The reef is a “militarized illegally reclaimed artificial island by China” but within the territorial sea of the Philippines-occupied Thitu Island, it said.