Philippine Aircraft Shadowed by Chinese Navy Helicopter Near Scarborough Shoal
The incident marks another confrontation in the ongoing territorial dispute between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.
Overview
- The Philippine National Security Council reported the shadowing incident occurred on Monday during a fisheries bureau patrol.
- China's embassy in Manila has not responded to requests for comment on the incident.
- The Scarborough Shoal, located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, has been a contentious area occupied by China's coast guard for over a decade.
- A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China's sweeping claims over the South China Sea, but Beijing does not recognize the decision.
- Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has called for China to withdraw its vessels from the Philippine EEZ and accused Beijing of interfering in the country's defense activities.