The Philippine military said Monday it will continue aerial patrols of a Chinese-held shoal near the South China Sea despite protests from Beijing over the
CAVITE, PHILIPPINES – The Philippine military said Monday it will continue aerial patrols of a Chinese-held shoal near the South China Sea despite protests from Beijing over the flights, especially using Japanese-donated aircraft.
When asked if the Philippine military will stop the surveillance of Scarborough Shoal following the protests from Beijing, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the flights will continue because the area is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, giving the country internationally recognized sovereign rights.
“No, we will not. Those areas are within our EEZ. They’re the ones who have no rights there,” Lorenzana said.
China raised concerns over the patrols, including one that used a Japanese-donated TC-90 plane, when Chinese and Philippine officials met in Manila last month to discuss their territorial disputes in the South China Sea, said a Philippine official who was involved in the meeting.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss issues taken up during the closed-door meeting.
Japanese defense officials turned over the last three of five TC-90 aircraft to the Philippine navy in a ceremony witnessed by Lorenzana and top navy commanders at a naval base in Cavite province south of Manila on Monday.
