US criticizes dangerous Chinese helicopter maneuvers in the South China Sea

US criticizes dangerous Chinese helicopter maneuvers in the South China Sea

A Chinese military helicopter flew over the South China Sea on Tuesday in an alarming proximity of just 3 meters to a Filipino Patrouilla plane. This is already the second incident within a week, which was classified by observers as potentially catastrophic behavior of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) compared to foreign aircraft.

incident about Scarborough Shoal

The incident was documented by a reporter of the Associated Press, which was on board a one-engine Cessna-Caravan aircraft from the Filipino for Fishing and Aquatic Resources. This continued his patrol near the Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited rock that is located about 222 kilometers west of the main island of Luzon in the Philippines. According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Scarborough Shoal has been controlled by China since 2012, although it is within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

warning of the pilot

During the approximately 30-minute incident, the Filipino aircraft's pilot warned the Chinese helicopter: "They fly too close, that is very dangerous and endangers the life of our crew and passengers." These warning words underline the serious risks that such encounters bring.

reactions of the USA

The US ambassador Marykay Carlson, a defense alliance partner Manilas, condemned the "dangerous" maneuvers of the Chinese helicopter. In a contribution to X, she also asked China to refrain from coercive measures and to clarify his differences peacefully in accordance with international law.

China's claim on air defense

An explanation of the South Contingent of the PLA said that the Chinese helicopter had driven the Filipino aircraft from the "territorial airspace of China", and claimed that Manila had seriously injured China's sovereignty. This incident follows a similar incident in the previous week when an Australian military P-8 reconnaissance plane was confronted with pla-fight jets. In this case, Australia announced that the Chinese jets fired light torches at a distance of 30 meters, which could have been caused by potentially catastrophic damage to the engines of the P-8.

tense air over the South China Sea

The region has been in the focus of dangerous incidents between Chinese and foreign aircraft for years. The countries involved include not only Australia and the Philippines, but also the USA and Canada, all of which emphasize that they operate in international airspace. However, the two recent incident within a few days emphasize that Beijing may become more assertion in the enforcement of its controversial claims, while the attention of the USA at the war in Ukraine and the tensions is in the Middle East.

strategic calculations of Chinas

"China sees that the Trump administration is focused on other conflicts and calculates that this is the time to put pressure on East Asia while America is distracted," said Ray Powell, director of the Sealight project at Stanford University. He explained that Beijing follows a well -known pattern of gradual escalation with the aim of normalizing aggressive behavior and accepting as a normal part of trade in controversial areas.

military activities around Taiwan

Admiral Samuel Paparo, the head of the US Indo Pacific command, warned during a forum in Hawaii that China uses similar “gray zones” tactics around the Democratic Island of Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing. Daily military activities take place near Taiwan. Paparo described these maneuvers as rehearsals for a forced association of Taiwan with the mainland.