Chinese jets shadow Philippine aircraft in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — Aircraft from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) shadowed Philippine aircraft that participated in the joint Philippine-Australia drills in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) over the weekend, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.

In an interview yesterday, Brawner said the Chinese jets that shadowed an A-29B Super Tucano from the Philippine Air Force provided the only noteworthy moment in the joint exercises.

When asked how the joint patrol exercise with Australia was going, the AFP chief said everything was going “OK,” with no untoward incidents.

“There were two Chinese jet fighters that circled our plane. They just circled,” Brawner added in Filipino.

The Philippine aircraft, he said, was shadowed by the two Chinese jets while it was flying in the vicinity of Hubo Reef.

“There was shadowing (of our plane) in the maritime (patrol), and in the air,” Brawner said. 

He said that the Super Tucano was able to finish its air and maritime patrol mission as laid out in its flight path, despite the shadowing done by the Chinese aircraft.

Brawner said that no Australian aircraft was shadowed by the Chinese PLA jet fighters. “No, none. Only ours,” he said.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP Public Affairs Office chief confirmed with defense reporters yesterday that “two Chinese fighter jets were monitored orbiting the PH’ A-29B Super Tucano at the vicinity of Hubo Reef,” and that the Philippine aircraft “continued on its flight route without untoward incident.”

Brawner said, “We are just practicing our right to conduct patrols jointly with our allies and partners in furtherance of promoting the rules-based international order. So, while doing the joint maritime and air patrols, we are following the international laws like UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), rule of law, etc.”

The AFP earlier said that two Philippine Air Force A-29B Super Tucanos – a light attack, combat and reconnaissance aircraft – joined the Philippine-Australia Maritime Cooperation Activity with the Australian Defense Force over the weekend.

United States Navy destroyer USS Hopper asserted navigational rights and freedom in