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Liu Zhen

The Chinese military appeared to fire flares near a Philippine aircraft operating close to the Subi and Mischief reefs, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), as tensions continue to spread to other South China Sea hotspots.
The coastguard released video clips on Thursday of footage that it said had been filmed from the aircraft on Monday.
PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said on social media that the unarmed plane was on a maritime domain awareness flight over part of the Spratly Islands when Chinese forces fired multiple flares at it.
Beijing has not responded to the claim.
The footage appears to show flares being fired from land as the aircraft approaches the artificial islands. In one clip, a lighthouse visible in the background appears to match the structure China built on Subi Reef in 2016.


Other visible facilities include airfields, aircraft hangars, radar installations, harbours and other infrastructure of the type that are known to have been built on Subi and Mischief reefs.
According to the PCG, Chinese forces first challenged the aircraft by radio as it flew over Subi Reef and then discharged flares. The same actions were repeated over Mischief Reef, it said.
The aircraft subsequently landed at Thitu Island, which is occupied and administered by the Philippines, where it is known as Pagasa.
The PCG also claimed in April that Chinese forces fired flares at its aircraft over Mischief and Subi, calling it “a clear and deliberate act of bullying”.
Subi Reef – known as Zhubi in China and Zamora in the Philippines – lies in the western part of the Spratly Islands, just 26km (16 miles) southwest of Thitu and 120km northwest of Taipei-controlled Taiping Island, also called Itu Aba.
China has reclaimed about 4 sq km (1.5 square miles) of land on Subi, making it the second largest of the Chinese artificial islands among the Spratlys.
Mischief Reef, known as Meiji Reef in China and Panganiban Reef in the Philippines, lies in the southeastern Spratlys. It is the archipelago’s largest artificial island, with more than 5 sq km of reclaimed land.
Beijing carried out large-scale reclamation at both reefs from 2014-15, building runways that can accommodate large passenger planes as well as aircraft hangars, radar and communications facilities, missile positions, harbours and other military infrastructure.
The People’s Liberation Army maintains personnel at both outposts.




Both reefs are claimed by the Philippines as part of its Kalayaan Island Group, while China claims the Spratlys as the Nansha Islands. The two countries also have competing claims in other parts of the South China Sea, such as Scarborough Shoal.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea and are occupying some of its features. Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a breakaway province to be reunited by force if needed, also has overlapping claims with other claimants.
Most countries, including the United States, do not see Taiwan as an independent state, but most are opposed to any change of the status quo by force.
Tensions between Beijing and Manila have escalated in recent years, with frequent confrontations reported around Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal.


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South China Sea: Manila says flares fired at aircraft near Subi, Mischief reefs

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Philippine coastguard releases footage, accuses PLA of targeting the unarmed plane as it flew over Spratly Islands on Monday

Philippine coastguard releases footage, accuses PLA of targeting the unarmed plane as it flew over Spratly Islands on Monday