(CLO) On February 4, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted an air patrol over Scarborough Shoal, coinciding with the time the Philippine and US air forces held a joint exercise in the East Sea.
Colonel Li Jianjian, a PLA spokesman, accused the Philippines of cooperating "with extraterritorial countries" to organize a joint patrol to "deliberately sabotage peace and stability in the South China Sea region".
Photo: Philippine Defense Forces Forum
The joint Philippine-US air force exercises, which took place on the same day, drew strong attention from China. Philippine air force spokeswoman Maria Consuelo Castillo said the one-day exercise included overflights of Scarborough Shoal.
The exercise involved three Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and two US B1-B bombers. The main purpose of the exercise was to enhance operational coordination, improve airspace awareness and enhance the flexibility of operations between the two forces.
Ngoc Anh (according to SCMP, Xinhua, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/trung-quoc-phan-ung-ve-cuoc-tap-tran-giua-my-va-philippines-o-bien-dong-post332969.html
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