Philippines protests Chinese air force jets’ firing of flares in the path of patrol plane

Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government has filed a diplomatic protest after Chinese jets flew dangerously close and fired flares in the path of a Philippine air force patrol plane over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs said without elaborating Tuesday that a diplomatic protest has been transmitted to China. The Chinese air force jets’ actions against the Philippine military plane Thursday over the Scarborough Shoal was the first such aerial encounter since high-seas hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the busy seaway started to flare last year. China said the Philippine plane encroached into what it said was Chinese airspace over its shoal and its aircraft took action.