Manila [Philippines], December 8 (ANI): The Philippine Coast Guard reported that Chinese vessels launched three flares at its patrol aircraft engaged in a routine flight over the disputed South China Sea on December 6, marking the latest instance of aggressive Chinese actions intended to reinforce its territorial claims in the area, according to The Epoch Times (TET).

Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard regarding the South China Sea, mentioned in a post on X that the Philippine aircraft departed from a local airstrip on the morning of December 6 for a flight focused on maritime domain awareness over the Kalayaan Island Group situated in the Spratly Islands.

Tarriela stated that the mission was part of the country's mandate to monitor marine conditions, assess fish stock levels, and evaluate the welfare of Filipino fishermen operating in the region, as reported by TET.

This operation was executed in collaboration with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Manila, according to Tarriela.

He noted, 'The [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources] aircraft captured video evidence of three (3) flares launched from the reef targeting the aircraft during its legitimate overflight.' He confirmed that these flares were discharged from the Chinese-controlled Subi Reef, which is referred to as Zamora Reef in the Philippines, as quoted in the TET report.

Subi is one of seven disputed, primarily submerged reefs that the Chinese government has converted into island bases in the Spratly Islands, recognised as the most contentious area in the South China Sea.

US and Philippine security officials note that these artificial islands are safeguarded by a missile system, with three of them featuring military-grade runways.

The Philippine patrol aircraft also detected a vessel belonging to the People's Liberation Army Navy approximately 14 nautical miles northwest of Sabina Shoal, known in the Philippines as Escoda Shoal, an uninhabited and disputed feature. Tarriela remarked, 'This vessel continuously issued radio challenges directed at the BFAR aircraft while it was navigating well within Philippine sovereign rights.'

The flight was conducted in compliance with international regulations, including the 2016 arbitration ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, he added.

This ruling from 2016 rejected China's 'nine-dash line' assertion over nearly 85 per cent of the South China Sea's 2.2 million square miles, stating that China's claim was inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings against China in 2013, culminating in the 2016 decision, as emphasised in the TET report.

Beijing, which has dismissed the legitimacy of the 2016 ruling, has not provided an immediate response to the latest incident.

In August 2024, China also launched flares at a Philippine aircraft during a routine patrol. Just two days before this occurrence, a Chinese fighter jet also discharged multiple flares aimed at the same Philippine aircraft from a dangerously close range of about 15 metres (approximately 49 feet).

These two incidents in 2024 drew rebukes from the United States. At that time, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson posted a statement on X, urging China to 'stop provocative and dangerous actions that undermine' the stability of the Indo-Pacific.

In October, Australia voiced its concerns after a Chinese jet released flares near an Australian maritime patrol aircraft carrying out surveillance in the South China Sea. In a statement, the Australian defence ministry labelled China's actions as 'unsafe and unprofessional,' as cited in the TET report. (ANI)