3 weeks ago
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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
February 21, 2025 | 11:06am
A People’s Liberation Army-Navy Harbin Z-9 helicopter with tail number 68 is seen hovering over the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft, Feb. 18, 2025.
Philippine Coast Guard / Released
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese Embassy in Manila accused United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson on Thursday, February 20, of "disregarding facts" and spreading "misleading narratives" about its military helicopter's close encounter with a Philippine aircraft over Scarborough Shoal earlier this week.
"The US ambassador, disregarding the facts and distorting the truth, has unjustly accused China of its lawful maritime rights protection activities while disseminating misleading narratives," the embassy said in a statement.
The statement comes after Carlson condemned a mid-aerial encounter where a Chinese military helicopter flew dangerously close within three meters of a Philippine aircraft during the latter's routine maritime patrol over Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday, February 18.
During this encounter, Filipino pilots of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' Cessna plane issued a radio challenge to the People's Liberation Army Navy helicopter, urging it to keep its distance.
The US diplomat called on China to "refrain from coercive actions" and settle disputes peacefully under international law.
The incident in the airspace above Scarborough Shoal — a feature within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone — was tagged by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as one of China's "most dangerous" actions yet in the contested waterways.
PCG Spokesperson Jay Tarriela on Wednesday explained that the Chinese helicopter's propeller wash nearly destabilized the BFAR plane carrying Coast Guard personnel and journalists.
The Chinese embassy, however, has alluded to the incident as being "staged." Beijing also maintains that its forces were conducting lawful operations when Philippine aircraft entered its "territorial airspace" without permission.
"Any rhetoric or actions that embolden the Philippines to pursue its illegitimate territorial claims through provocations and staged incidents are bound to be in vain," the Chinese Embassy added.
The latest diplomatic exchange comes amid heightened tensions in the disputed waterways. Just last week, Australia condemned China for what it called an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter where Chinese forces reportedly deployed flares near an Australian patrol aircraft in the South China Sea.
Last month, newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed America's "ironclad commitment" to the Philippines during his first call with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, specifically addressing what he called "China's dangerous and destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea.
