China’s air force is again being called out for ‘dangerous’ moves over the South China Sea, this time for popping flares in front of a US ally’s aircraft

Although the turbo-prop aircraft’s crew was unharmed, the incident put them in danger, Manila said, noting that the aircraft was conducting a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal.

The area where the incident occurred is notably contested between the two nations and has seen major maritime confrontations, especially in the last few months.

In response to the Philippine’s accusations against its pilots, Beijing defended their actions, noting that they had repeatedly warned the Philippine aircraft it was intruding in Chinese airspace during military training exercises. China added that the response was lawful and safe.

This recent incident comes only a few months after a Chinese jet released flares into the path of an Australian MH-60R Seahawk helicopter over the Yellow Sea, putting the aircraft and its crew in danger.

The Australian aircraft was patrolling the area to ensure the enforcement of United Nations Security Council sanctions. China accused Australia of conducting reconnaissance during its military training activities and said its actions were legal.

Incidents of this sort are not new, though, as China has been called out before for this sort of behavior.

Two years ago, a Chinese fighter jet released chaff in front of an Australian P-8 Poseidon aircraft flying over the South China Sea, with some of the metallic debris entering the plane’s engine. And around that same time, a Chinese warship was accused of using lasers to interfere with another P-8.

China’s efforts to enforce its sovereignty claims in areas like the South China Sea have also led to an increasing number of dangerous intercepts with US aircraft.

Last fall, the US Department of Defense said in an annual report that it had documented more than 180 coercive or risky intercepts by Chinese aircraft since fall 2021, more in just two years than the entire previous decade.