US slams 'unsafe, irresponsible' Chinese navy helicopter- Philippine plane standoff in South China Sea

The US has come down heavily on China over its latest provocation over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea where a Chinese navy helicopter flew within 10 feet of a Philippine patrol plane on Tuesday, and asked Beijing to refrain from coercive actions.

The Chinese helicopter was trying to force a Cessna Caravan turboprop plane belonging to the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources out of what China claims is its airspace over the shoal off the northwestern Philippines.

Calling the action by the Chinese “unsafe and irresponsible”, the US said it stands by its ally the Philippines to condemn the unsafe and irresponsible actions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy to interfere with a Philippine maritime air operation in the vicinity of Scarborough Reef.

Reckless Chinese actions such as these are a threat to navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, spokesperson for the United States Department of State Tammy Bruce said, and added that the US will continue to support its allies and partners to ensure a "free and open" Indo-Pacific.

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The tense stand-off between the Chinese navy helicopter and the Philippine patrol plane lasted for 30 minutes with the Philippine plane pressing on with its low-altitude patrol around Scarborough and the Chinese navy helicopter hovering close above it or flying to its left in cloudy weather.

You are flying too close, you are very dangerous and endangering the lives of our crew and passengers, the Philippine pilot warned the Chinese navy helicopter by radio.

China had claimed that the Philippine plane had illegally entered the airspace of China's Huangyan Island without the Chinese government's permission.