Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The Philippines has released footage of a Chinese navy helicopter making a dangerously close pass near a fisheries bureau vessel Tuesday morning, at one point coming within 10 feet, Manila says.
Newsweek reached out to the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Chinese Foreign Ministry with emailed requests for comment.
Why It Matters
The incident occurred over Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground and one of the most contested sites in the neighbors’ bitter South China Sea dispute. The shoal lies over 500 miles from China’s southernmost province, Hainan, and about 140 miles east of Luzon Island, well within the U.S. ally’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
China claims much of these waters, as it does most of the South China Sea, as its territory, alleging historical rights, but these claims overlap with competing claims by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Taiwan in addition to the Philippines.
A Chinese helicopter buzzes a Philippine fisheries bureau plane over disputed Scarborough Shoal, within the Southeast Asian country’s exclusive economic zone. A Chinese helicopter buzzes a Philippine fisheries bureau plane over disputed Scarborough Shoal, within the Southeast Asian country’s exclusive economic zone. Philippine Coast Guard
What To Know
Shortly before 9 a.m., a Chinese navy helicopter interacted with a fisheries bureau plane carrying coast guard personnel and journalists on a surveillance flight over Scarborough Shoal, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Video shows the helicopter flying over the port side of the plane.
Video Shows Chinese Military Helicopter in Near Miss With US Ally
