West PH Sea: US slams China’s ‘dangerous’ maneuvers in Scarborough Shoal

UNSAFEMANEUVER A Chinese military helicopter flies close to a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft above Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Feb. 18. —AP

MANILA, Philippines — The United States condemned China Navy chopper’s dangerous maneuvers in  Scarborough Shoal, emphasizing that the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks, including those that transpire in the South China Sea.

In a statement, the US Embassy in the Philippines said the US stands with the Philippines in condemning the unsafe and irresponsible actions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-Navy) in interfering with a Philippine maritime air operation in the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal.

“Reckless Chinese actions such as these are a threat to navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and we will continue to support our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. We call on China to refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law,” said the embassy on Wednesday.

READ: Chinese PLA Navy chopper gets as close as 3 meters to BFAR plane

“The 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea,” it added.

Earlier, the Philippine government said it would file a formal diplomatic protest against China over the matter.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns (POMC) said the Philippines is deeply disturbed by the “unprofessional and reckless flight maneuvers” of a PLA-Navy Harbin Z-9 helicopter with tail number 68.

READ: PH Coast Guard slams Chinese Navy chopper’s ‘dangerous’ maneuvers

“[It] flew and hovered as close as three meters above a [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources] Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft conducting a routine maritime domain awareness flight over Bajo de Masinloc on February 18,” it said.

According to POMC, this “blatantly hazardous action” endangered the safety of the pilots and passengers onboard.

“It demonstrated a lack of regard for internationally accepted norms on good airmanship and flight safety,” said the agency then.
China’s continued aggression in Philippine waters is borne out of a sweeping claim over most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.

It, however,  has long been dismissed by an arbitral tribunal.