BEIJING, Feb. 27 -- "The fact about this incident is very clear. The Philippine public service aircraft, with many journalists aboard, barged into China's territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao to provoke and play the victim," said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on Thursday.
It is reported that the Philippine side claimed that a Chinese PLAN aircraft took dangerous maneuver against its public service aircraft, posing serious risk to the safety of its pilots and passengers.
When being asked to share comment on this, the spokesperson made the above remarks and added that the Philippines' provocation posed threats to China's helicopter which was on a routine patrol, and was the real cause of air and maritime safety risks in this encounter.
He also pointed out that intruding into other countries' territorial airspace in breach of international law is more reckless and irresponsible than anything else and urged the Philippine side to immediately stop its rights-infringing actions, stop spreading false narratives, and work with the Chinese side to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.