Philippine Coast Guard Says Chinese Helicopter Flew Within 10 Feet of Patrol Plane Over Disputed Shoal

An aircraft identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as a 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 Feb. 18, 2025. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

The Philippine Coast Guard said a Chinese navy helicopter executed “dangerous flight maneuvers” as it approached its aircraft patrolling the South China Sea on Feb. 18.

“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers” during its flight, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a social media statement.

The Chinese military helicopter came as close as 10 feet to the port side of the Philippine aircraft, which carried Coast Guard personnel and journalists, according to Tarriela.

The encounter occurred around Scarborough Shoal, a triangle-shaped coral reef that has long been a source of tension between Beijing and Manila in the waterway.

Located west of the Philippine island of Luzon, Scarborough Shoal is rich in natural resources and serves as a vital fishing ground for local Filipino villagers. International law recognizes the area as part of the Philippines’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Since 2012, however, the Chinese regime has taken control of the region as part of its broader push to assert sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea. A 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court determined that Beijing lacked the legal basis for its historical claims in the area. The communist regime dismissed the ruling, ramping up its military and coast guard presence in the disputed areas to reinforce its claims.

The Chinese military confirmed the incident on Feb. 18 and accused the Philippine plane of “illegally intruding” into its airspace over the island, which China has renamed as “Huangyan,” according to a statement from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Command, which is responsible for operations in the South China Sea.

Senior Col. Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Command, said its troops were on “high alert” and are committed to “resolutely defending the country’s sovereignty and security” as well as “peace and stability in the South China Sea region.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed Washington’s “serious concern over China’s coercive actions” in the South China Sea during a Jan. 24 phone call with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, the State Department said at the time.

The United States is an ally of the Philippines and has held a mutual defense treaty since 1951. As tensions in the South China Sea have risen in recent years, Washington has repeatedly confirmed its “ironclad” commitment to Manila, pledging to defend the Philippines against intimidation from the Chinese Communist Party.

During Rubio’s meeting with his Philippine counterpart on Feb. 14, they discussed how to strengthen the two countries’ alliance to “address China’s destabilizing actions in the South China Sea,” Rubio said in a statement on social media platform X.

The exchange, which took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, also covered enhancing economic cooperation in key areas such as infrastructure, critical minerals, and energy.

“Rubio not only reaffirmed U.S. commitment to the United States–Philippines Alliance, but noted his enthusiasm for building an even more invested and enduring relationship,” according to the State Department readout.