China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command reported that it expelled a Philippine C-208 aircraft that entered airspace over Huangyan Dao without approval from China. The PLA deployed both naval and air forces to monitor the situation closely and issued warnings to the aircraft before directing it to vacate the area.
Huangyan Dao, which China claims as part of its territory, is at the center of this incident. The PLA stated that the unauthorized entry by the Philippine aircraft constituted a violation of China’s sovereignty and heightened the risk of unintended maritime or aerial confrontations.
In response to the incident, the PLA cautioned the Philippines against engaging in actions it deems provocative. The command emphasized that its forces are on heightened alert, ready to safeguard China’s territorial claims and security interests in the region.