China Escalates South China Sea Tensions: Fires Flares at Philippine Aircraft

China Fires Flares at Philippine Aircraft in South China Sea, Escalating Tensions

The Philippines has reported multiple incidents of China firing flares at its aircraft over the South China Sea this week, further escalating tensions in the disputed region. The most serious incident occurred on August 19, when a Chinese fighter jet reportedly fired flares just 15 meters from a Philippine aircraft.

According to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS), a patrol aircraft from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) was threatened by flares launched from a Chinese island base during a “Maritime Domain Awareness Flight” on Thursday. The aircraft was flying near Subi Reef, a militarized island in the contested Spratly Islands, when it encountered the flares.

The August 19 incident involved a Chinese jet engaging in what Philippine officials described as “irresponsible and dangerous maneuvers,” deploying flares dangerously close to the BFAR Grand Caravan aircraft. These actions were deemed hazardous and unprovoked, potentially jeopardizing the safety of the personnel onboard.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela shared a statement on social media platform X, revealing that on August 22, during another Maritime Domain Awareness Flight by BFAR, China launched flares from their militarized reclaimed island in Zamora Reef.

These incidents follow a July agreement between China and the Philippines aimed at reducing tensions over the Second Thomas Shoal, another reef in the Spratly Islands. However, the recent flare-ups suggest that tensions remain high in the region.

China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that Beijing’s claims within its “nine-dash line” had no legal basis. The Philippines has maintained its claim to the Second Thomas Shoal since 1999 by grounding the BRP Sierra Madre ship there.

The reef has become a flashpoint in Philippine-China relations and the center of increasingly intense clashes. In May, the International Crisis Group reported that maritime relations between the two countries have reached unprecedented levels of volatility in the past seven months.

Adding to the tension, in early July, Beijing anchored the world’s largest coastguard ship in Manila’s exclusive economic zone, an action perceived by many as an act of intimidation by the China Coast Guard.

As both nations continue to assert their claims in the South China Sea, these recent incidents highlight the ongoing challenges in maintaining stability in this strategically important region.