The Philippine Navy on Monday called the firing of flares by the Chinese planes in the path of a Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft in Scarborough Shoal last week “coercive, aggressive, and deceptive”.

In a press briefing, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said that the actions of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force of China have “no place in the international arena”.

“The broad picture is that whether on sea or on air, these actions are all illegal. They are coercive, aggressive, and deceptive. They have no place in the international arena which is governed by international law,” Trinidad told reporters.

He also said China’s actions were “unprofessional” and “uncalled for”.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) over the weekend said that two People’s Liberation Army Air Force planes dropped flares in the path of a PAF plane, but no personnel were hurt.

Trinidad said this was the first time this happened.

“This is the first time that an aircraft has dropped flares on the aircraft of the Philippine Air Force, but there have been previous instances wherein the Philippine Air Force flights over the West Philippine Sea have experienced flares from the bases of the PLA in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Trinidad said that they will not be deterred by the recent air space incident.

“Our pilots have the necessary training. They follow rules of engagement for every contingency and we are confident in their capabilities,” he said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS