South China Sea: PLA blocks Philippine warship in move Manila calls ‘reckless'
China's military said it had 'effectively stopped' a Philippine Navy ship from entering waters near a
disputed South China Sea shoal – an encounter Manila described as 'reckless' and 'dangerous'.
Advertisement
In a Thursday statement, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the
South China Sea , said the Philippine warship BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS35) had attempted to intrude into Chinese territorial waters near Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China – on Monday.
Naval and air forces were dispatched to monitor, warn, and expel the ship, according to the statement.
'The scene was handled with strict adherence to law and regulations, in a professional and standardised manner,' said Senior Colonel Tian Junli, the command's spokesman. He said the PLA had 'forcefully and effectively stopped the incursion'. Tian also accused Manila of 'distorting facts and misleading international perception'.
'Scarborough Shoal is China's inherent territory,' Tian added. 'We sternly
warn the Philippine side to immediately stop infringing and provocative acts, and to cease hyping and distorting the facts.'
Advertisement
Manila also addressed the incident in a statement on Thursday.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines accused China of 'harassment' and 'dangerous manoeuvres', stating the incident occurred just 11.8 nautical miles (22km or 14 miles) southeast of the shoal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Are Chinese solar panels the answer for Global South, or do costs not add up?
The rise of decentralised solar power has prompted a Pakistani think tank to call for China to play a leading role in Pakistan's energy transition, creating a model for other countries in the Global South. However, a Chinese energy scholar has questioned whether its vision is too expensive to be true. Advertisement An increasing flow of cheap Chinese solar panels to the South Asian nation is undercutting demand for power from coal-fired plants that China helped finance and leading to a vicious cycle of stranded assets, according to a report by Renewables First, a think tank based in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. 'China's solar panels are outcompeting China's power plants,' said Muhammad Basit Ghauri, lead author of the report. 'What we are seeing is an unintentional but profound strategic contradiction. And Pakistan is ground zero for this global experiment in energy disruption.' Pakistan had witnessed a rapid transition to 'distributed' solar power generation on people's rooftops over the past five years, with 39 gigawatts of solar panels imported over that time, mostly from China, the report said, adding that was roughly the equivalent of three-quarters of Pakistan's total installed power generation capacity. With a zero tax rate for solar power imports, Pakistan has emerged as the second-largest destination for Chinese solar panels, behind only Brazil. Advertisement According to data from the Pakistani government's Finance Division, thermal power generation accounted for 59.4 per cent of the country's installed capacity at the end of March last year, followed by hydroelectricity on 25.4 per cent, nuclear on 8.4 per cent and renewables on 6.8 per cent.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump orders immediate ban on new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard
In a proclamation on Wednesday night, Trump said he would immediately block the Ivy League school from enrolling new international students or exchange visitors, while also ordering the State Department to review whether current foreign enrolments should have their visas revoked. The sweeping action came as the Trump administration continued to accuse Harvard of maintaining links with foreign countries, particularly China, which it said posed a national security threat to the US. 'The Federal Bureau of Investigation has long warned that foreign adversaries and competitors take advantage of easy access to American higher education to, among other things, steal technical information and products, exploit expensive research and development to advance their own ambitions, and spread false information for political or other reasons,' the document said. 'Our adversaries, including the People's Republic of China, try to take advantage of American higher education by exploiting the student visa programme for improper purposes and by using visiting students to collect information at elite universities in the United States.' The proclamation is effective immediately and will last for at least six months, according to the White House. The move – along with the State Department's announcement last week that it would 'aggressively' revoke Chinese students visas – is expected to further deepen tensions between the US and China, whose trade negotiations remain stalled.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Philippines boosts air power with 12 South Korean FA-50 jets amid South China Sea tensions
Manila's deal to acquire 12 upgraded FA-50 fighter jets from South Korea could significantly strengthen the Philippines ' air defence and power projection in the contested South China Sea – but analysts say the light combat aircraft still fall short of the multirole fighters the country ultimately seeks. The US$700 million contract, signed on Tuesday with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), will see the delivery of the aircraft between 2026 and 2030, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported. It marks the second time the Philippines has turned to KAI, having bought 12 FA-50s in 2014. Eleven remain in service after one crashed in March during a mission in the southern Philippines, killing two pilots. The new FA-50 Block 70 jets will come equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, aerial refuelling capability and advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons systems, according to KAI. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) currently uses the FA-50 for both air patrol and strike missions. Analysts said the latest order would double the fleet, ease the burden on ageing aircraft and support the air force's modernisation road map. Known as the Flight Plan, the programme prioritises the acquisition of surface attack aircraft to strengthen territorial defence.
