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The Global Times learned on Wednesday from sources that several Philippine aircraft recently illegally intruded into China's territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao without Chinese government permission. In response, the PLA deployed naval and air forces to track, monitor, warn and expel them in accordance with the law and regulations.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said on Wednesday that two Philippine C-208 aircraft on Wednesday illegally intruded into the territorial airspace over China's Huangyan Dao without the approval of the Chinese government. The naval and air forces dispatched by the PLA Southern Theater Command warned, and expelled the Philippine aircraft in accordance with the law and regulations, according to a statement the PLA Southern Theater Command published on its official WeChat account.

"The actions of the Philippine side, seriously infringing upon China's sovereignty, are highly likely to lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments. We sternly urge the Philippine side to immediately stop infringement and provocations. The theater command forces remain on high alert at all times, to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and security, and regional peace and stability," Senior Captain Zhai Shichen, spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command said. 

Also on Wednesday, China's Ministry of National Defense slammed Manila's recent illegal provocative actions. 

When asked to comment on reports that a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reconnaissance aircraft carrying journalists was warned off by PLA Navy ships via radio communications during its patrol near Huangyan Dao on March 7, and that the PCG said it would enhance public communications to increase transparency and counter what it describes as China's bullying, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the ministry, said that China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao, including Huangyan Dao, and their adjacent waters. 

"We have sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters. China's law-enforcement and rights-protection operations in waters within our jurisdiction are fully justified. In response to the recent rights-violation actions and provocations conducted by the PCG, the Chinese side took legitimate and lawful countermeasures that are professional and restrained," Jiang said.

Taking journalists on-board during its so-called patrol missions to film videos and play up the "victim's narrative" has become the not-so-surprising playbook for the Philippine side. The so-called transparency and exposure campaign is not about uncovering the truth to the world, but a self-directed farce, the spokesperson told the Wednesday press conference.

Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday that as the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, the Philippines has repeatedly staged provocations over China's Huangyan Dao. According to Xu, such old tricks can be viewed as part of its attempts to gain the upper hand in negotiations on the code of conduct.

"They are merely meant to grab international attention and only reveal that the Philippines has run out of tricks" Xu said.

Commenting on the development, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that China's position on the South China Sea issue is consistent and clear: not an inch of our territory will be lost, and we will not take an inch of territory that does not belong to us.

Huangyan Dao is an inherent territory of China. China's relevant position has long been made public and has been consistent in all previous diplomatic dialogues with the Philippine side. The Philippine side turns a blind eye to this and deliberately distorts China's position, which is utterly unconstructive. China will continue to work with the countries directly concerned to resolve disputes through negotiation and consultation, work with ASEAN countries to jointly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, and build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, the embassy told the Global Times.

Historical evidence

China has recently displayed solid historical evidence proving that the Philippines has previously clearly acknowledged that Huangyan Dao is not part of Philippine territory. On Saturday, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines posted on its Facebook account a photo of a letter written by then Philippine ambassador to Germany Bienvenido A. Tan, Jr. The Manila envoy wrote in the letter to German HAM radio operator Dieter Löffler on February 5, 1990, admitting that "according to the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority," Huangyan Dao "does not fall within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines."

According to the Chinese Embassy, in 1994, in order to apply for permission to travel to China's Huangyan Dao to install a radio station, an expedition team composed of personnel from China, the Philippines, the US, Germany, Japan and other countries submitted an application to the Chinese government. In the application was the letter dated 1990 from then Philippine ambassador Tan clearly stating that the Philippines does not possess sovereignty over Huangyan Dao.

Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Maritime Affairs spokesperson Rogelio Villanueva Jr. on Monday claimed the Philippines would not engage in "conjecture or speculation over a document of uncertain origin and authenticity," and asserted that the document was produced "by third parties" and is "certainly without value."

Commenting on the reaction, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on Tuesday rejected Manila's claim that the letter is "without value." Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said in a statement posted on the embassy's X account that the letter "is not 'third-party' material from 'unknown sources' but rather proof of official acts performed by the duly accredited plenipotentiary representative of the Philippine President and by the competent Philippine government authority exercising powers granted under Philippine law, and therefore carry indisputable legal effect under international law."

Chen Xidi, an assistant researcher from China Institute for Marine Affairs at the Ministry of Natural Resources, offered more solid evidence to batter Manila's false claim over Huanyan Dao. 

According to Chen, in 1994, a Finnish amateur radio team confirmed with the mapping and geodesy division of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources that Map No. 25 published in 1994 defined the Philippine territorial boundary east of Huangyan Dao, explicitly placing Huangyan Dao outside Philippine territory.

Chen Ping, a veteran who took part in the Huangyan Dao radio expedition in 1994, 1995, and 2007, told the Global Times on Wednesday that all documents related to Huangyan Dao from the radio expedition are authentic, complete and traceable. Relevant materials were submitted to relevant associations for review and archiving at that time. Claims by the Philippines that the letter is not credible are completely inconsistent with historical facts.

The Philippines has violated the doctrine of estoppel under international law, which dictates that a state may not arbitrarily breach or deny facts it has explicitly recognized previously on territorial issues, said Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

The Philippines is, in essence, attempting to advance illegal territorial claims over Huangyan Dao, which aims to alter the established post-WWII territorial arrangements, Ding told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting that "China maintains a clear stance on the South China Sea issue, with ever-stronger will, resolve and capability to defend its territorial sovereignty, and the Philippines shall not harbor any illusions."