Chinese aircraft makes unsafe move near PH plane over Scarborough – AFP

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese military aircraft maneuvered in close to a Philippine aircraft near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), an incident the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) described Sunday as part of a “recurring pattern” of unsafe behavior against Philippine operations.

The AFP said the incident occurred on Saturday while an AFP C-208 aircraft was conducting a routine maritime patrol. During the patrol, it encountered two Chinese military aircraft, one of which was a J-16 fighter aircraft.

“During the encounter, the J-16 repeatedly approached and maneuvered in close proximity to the Philippine aircraft, including maneuvering ahead of and around it and positioning itself within the Philippine aircraft’s wake. These maneuvers posed an aviation safety risk,” the AFP said in a statement.

“This incident is part of a recurring pattern of unsafe and coercive behavior against Philippine government vessels and aircraft conducting lawful operations. The AFP will continue to document and expose such actions that place Philippine personnel and assets at unnecessary risk,” it added.

The agency said its aircraft safely completed its operations and returned without any further incident.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to prioritizing the safety of its personnel while continuing routine maritime and air patrols within the West Philippine Sea. /mcm