China Says Philippine Aircraft ‘Illegally’ Flew Over Disputed Sea

An aircraft identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese Navy helicopter (L) flies near the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plane during an aerial reconnaissance flight at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on February 18, 2025. Jam STA ROSA / AFP

Beijing accused the Philippines on Friday of “illegally” sending three aircraft into airspace over the disputed South China Sea, adding to longstanding territorial tensions between the two countries.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea and has brushed off competing claims by the Philippines and other countries despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

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by Agence France-Presse

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