Philippines calls Chinese air force actions over Scarborough Shoal ‘coercive, aggressive, deceptive’
MANILA听–听The Philippine Navy said on Tuesday last week’s听补肠迟颈辞苍蝉听by the听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听补颈谤听蹿辞谤肠别听辞惫别谤听the disputed听厂肠补谤产辞谤辞耻驳丑听厂丑辞补濒听in the South China Sea were “coercive,听补驳驳谤别蝉蝉颈惫别听and deceptive”.
The听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别蝉听has been聽 by what it saw as a dangerous maneuver by two听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听aircraft, which it said dropped flares in the path of its military听补颈谤craft while conducting a routine patrol聽辞惫别谤听the contested听蝉丑辞补濒听on Thursday.
The听补肠迟颈辞苍蝉听had no place in the international arena, which is governed by international law, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told a briefing, adding China’s conduct raised the risk of untoward incidents.
China, which also claims sovereignty聽辞惫别谤听the听蝉丑辞补濒, has disputed that saying it acted in a professional and legal manner.
The听厂肠补谤产辞谤辞耻驳丑听Shoal, a prime fishing patch with a lagoon that provides shelter for vessels during storms, is聽, located inside the听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别蝉‘ exclusive economic zone but occupied by China for more than a decade.
The incident is the latest flare-up between the听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别蝉听and China after more than a year of heated rows聽辞惫别谤听disputed areas of the South China Sea, as U.S. ally Manila infuriates Beijing by stepping up its efforts to assert itself.
In a separate briefing, the Philippine foreign ministry said a聽聽on resupply missions for its troops at the Second Thomas聽厂丑辞补濒听was subject to review, but did not provide a reason for the review.
The two countries came to an arrangement last month after multiple standoffs at the听蝉丑辞补濒, where the听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别蝉听in 1999 intentionally grounded a navy vessel and maintains a small contingent of troops to prop up its claim to sovereignty. – Reuters
