On Saturday, December 6, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Philippine aircraft conducting routine patrols in the South China Sea encountered three illumination flares launched by the Chinese military from an island.
According to Philippine officials, the flares were launched from Subi Reef, which is occupied by China, fortunately causing no damage to the Philippine government research aircraft involved. The Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft from the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries continued its surveillance mission.
The Associated Press sought a comment from the Chinese side, but there was no immediate response. The South China Sea, also known as the South China Sea, is a critical global trade route.
This is not the first time China has launched illumination flares from its occupied islands or aircraft.
The Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries jointly conducted Saturday’s surveillance flight. The Coast Guard stated, “The aircraft of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources captured video clips of three illumination flares being fired towards the aircraft from the reef, while the aircraft was conducting a legal overflight.”
The Coast Guard said, “This overflight aims to monitor the marine environment, assess fisheries resources, and ensure the safety and well-being of Philippine fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.”
The Philippines refers to its claimed sovereign territory as the “West Philippine Sea.”
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Philippine patrol aircraft spotted a Chinese hospital ship, two Chinese coast guard ships, and 29 suspected Chinese militia ships anchored near Subi Reef.
Subi Reef is one of seven disputed and mostly submerged coral reefs, which China turned into the island base for the most hotly contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea over a decade ago. According to US and Philippine security officials, these artificial islands are protected by missile systems, with three of them having military-grade runways.
The Philippine Coast Guard told the Associated Press that despite facing Chinese threats, they successfully completed their mission.
Apart from Subi Reef, the Philippine patrol aircraft also flew near six other disputed islands, coral reefs, and atolls, including the uninhabited contested sandbar Sabina, where it monitored a Chinese naval vessel.
The Philippine Coast Guard stated, “The vessel repeatedly issued radio challenges to the aircraft of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, while the aircraft was flying within the Philippine sovereign rights.”
In addition to the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan are also embroiled in the long-standing sovereignty disputes in the resource-rich waters of the South China Sea.
In 2016, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that China’s extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea were baseless. However, Beijing refused to accept the ruling.
In addition to Subi Reef, China has undertaken land reclamation projects at Mischief Reef, Gaven Reef, Cuarteron Reef, Fiery Cross Reef, and Hughes Reef in the Spratly Islands, constructing airports, buildings, radars, and other facilities.
Among them, Fiery Cross, Mischief, and Subi Reefs are considered China’s three major core military bases in the South China Sea, each equipped with approximately 3,000-meter military-grade runways capable of handling large aircraft.
The United States has no territorial claims in the South China Sea but has conducted patrols for decades, safeguarding “freedom of navigation.” It has repeatedly warned that if Philippine forces are subjected to armed attacks, including in the South China Sea, the United States is obligated to defend its oldest Asian ally, the Philippines, as per the US-Philippines Treaty.