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China drives away Philippine aircraft over disputed shoal
A tense encounter unfolded over the South China Sea as China announced it had driven away a Philippine aircraft that allegedly entered airspace above Scarborough Shoal. The incident marks another escalation in the long-standing maritime dispute between Beijing and Manila over one of the region’s most contested areas.
According to China’s Southern Theater Command, the Philippines "illegally intruded" into what Beijing claims as its airspace. Chinese forces reportedly tracked and issued warnings before expelling the aircraft. Manila maintains that its patrol plane was conducting a legitimate surveillance mission within its own exclusive economic zone.
The latest confrontation comes amid a steady rise in military and maritime tension between the two countries. Just days earlier, Chinese flares were fired toward a Philippine patrol over the Spratly Islands, prompting concern over potential miscalculations as both sides intensify their presence in strategic areas of the sea.
Scarborough Shoal, situated about 120 nautical miles off the Philippine island of Luzon, remains a flashpoint between the two nations. China seized effective control of the rocky outcrop after a 2012 standoff and has since maintained a constant presence with coast guard vessels and maritime militia.
A 2016 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s sweeping territorial claims and recognized Scarborough Shoal as a shared traditional fishing area. Beijing dismissed the verdict and continues to assert sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea. The Philippines, for its part, has strengthened military cooperation with the United States and Japan to safeguard its maritime rights and counter Chinese expansion.
Observers warn that repeated run-ins over the shoal could aggravate regional instability and test diplomatic efforts to manage tensions between the two neighboring nations.