The U.S. government has condemned dangerous flight maneuvers conducted by a Chinese military helicopter to intimidate a Philippine government fisheries survey aircraft, the latest in a series of aggressive actions taken by Chinese military forces in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) claims a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) survey aircraft flying over Bajo De Masinloc was accosted by a People's Liberation Army Navy helicopter on 18 February.
The helicopter “performed dangerous flight maneuvers towards the BFAR aircraft,” according to a statement put out by the Philippines government.
“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers during the MDA flight,” it said.
The Chinese military helicopter came “as close as 3 meters” to the aircraft, the Philippine government claimed. Phillippine Coast Guard personnel and journalists were on the BFAR flight.
The Chinese military responded with a statement claiming the Philippine aircraft was operating in Chinese airspace and spreading false narratives about the incident.
“The Philippines has undeniable sovereignty and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc,” the Philippine National Maritime Council said in a statement following the incident.
On the same day, the U.S. government condemned the Chinese helicopter’s maneuvers.
“We condemn the dangerous maneuvers by a PLA Navy helicopter that endangered pilots and passengers on a Philippine air mission,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said in a statement on X. “We call on China to refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law.”
The near collision is the latest in a series of collisions, near misses, and intimidating behavior by the Chinese military over disputed fishing territory in the South China Sea.
In October 2024, the Philippine government accused a “Chinese maritime militia” vessel of deliberately sideswiping a BFAR vessel in the South China Sea. In a separate incident earlier in the month, Chinese coast guard and navy vessels conducted dangerous maneuvers and fired water cannons at two BFAR vessels attempting to conduct a resupply mission in the South China Sea. A similar event occurred back in June.
An even bigger confrontation took place in May 2024, when a Chinese blockade of coast guard and militia vessels attempted to block a flotilla of Filipino fishers from accessing the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which is currently controlled by China.
In January, the government of the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest over China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea; China responded with its own protest, dismissing the Philippines’ narrative.
The Philippine National Maritime Council said the latest incident will not deter it from continuing to send its fisheries vessels and aircraft into the disputed area.
“China's illegal, coercive, and aggressive behavior will not deter the Philippines from continuing the conduct of its routine maritime operations in accordance with its sovereignty over the shoal, and will not waver in its duty to safeguard its maritime interests over the shoal,” the council said.
