(Reuters)
BEIJING, Dec 12 – China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years.
The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and “expelled” a Philippine aircraft that “invaded” airspace above the Scarborough Shoal, without giving a date for the incident.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.
In a separate statement, the Chinese Coast Guard said multiple Philippine vessels entered waters near Sabina Shoal to “cause trouble and provoke incidents”.
The CCG said it took control measures against the vessels, including verbal warnings and forced expulsion.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Beijing, and the country’s foreign ministry and maritime council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s sweeping claims in the region were not supported by international law, a decision that Beijing rejects.
Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia’s most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights.
China in September approved the creation of a national nature reserve at the disputed atoll, drawing a strong reaction from Manila.
Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as the Escoda Shoal, lies 150 km (93 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, well within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
