The Philippine and US air forces conducted joint patrols in the East Sea on February 4, angering China, according to Reuters.
Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Maria Consuelo Castillo said the one-day joint US-Philippine patrol took place in the West Philippine Sea, the name Manila uses to refer to an area of the South China Sea that it claims is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, according to Reuters.
US B-1B bomber
Ms. Castillo added that the patrol included three Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and two US B1-B bombers. During the patrol, the US and Philippine aircraft flew over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
"The patrol is intended to enhance operational coordination, improve airspace awareness and reinforce the ability to deploy combat agility between the two air forces," Castillo said in a statement.
In a statement today, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) accused the Philippines of participating in patrols that it said were organized by foreign countries to "undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea," according to Reuters.
On the other hand, the Southern Theater Command announced that the Chinese air force conducted routine air patrols over Scarborough Shoal today, according to the South China Morning Post .
In a press conference today, the Philippine navy said it was "closely monitoring" three Chinese naval vessels in Manila's waters, including a guided missile frigate.
The PLA patrol comes after Beijing and Manila traded criticism over a Chinese destroyer fleet passing through the Basilan Strait, which separates the Philippine islands of Mindanao and Basilan. It is believed to be the first time a Chinese destroyer group, led by a Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, has sailed through the 18km-long Basilan Strait toward the Sulu Sea, according to the South China Morning Post .
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-dieu-may-bay-nem-bom-tuan-tra-o-bien-dong-trung-quoc-phan-ung-185250204201433851.htm
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