On October 3, a Philippine C-208 aircraft illegally intruded into the territorial airspace over China's Huangyan Dao without approval from the Chinese government. The naval and air forces dispatched by the PLA Southern Theater Command (STC) tracked and monitored the Philippine aircraft, and issued warnings to expel it in accordance with laws and regulations, Senior Captain Zhai Shichen, spokesperson for the PLA STC, said on Monday. 

Huangyan Dao is China's inherent territory. The acts by the Philippine side seriously violate China's sovereignty and are highly likely to cause unintended maritime and air incidents, the spokesperson said. We sternly warn the Philippine side to stop rights-violation and provocative acts immediately. Forces of the STC remain on high alert at all times to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability, Zhai noted.

A video footage released by the PLA STC showed a J-16 fighter jet carrying live PL-10 missile while carrying out the operation to drive away the aircraft. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, noted that carrying live ammunition is now a routine deployment measure for Chinese warplanes.

If an opposing military aircraft continues to provoke China or takes provocative actions carrying irreversible risks that threaten China's sovereignty and the security of its territorial waters and airspace, Chinese warplanes can use all necessary means to safeguard China's sovereignty, Song said.

"This means that we can use all available means, including equipping aircraft with live ammunition. When it comes to safeguarding national sovereignty and security, the J-16 leaves no room for ambiguity. Carrying live ammunition on missions is both a routine arrangement and a strong deterrent and stern warning to intruders," he said.

The Philippine Star on Sunday claimed that the J-16 "maneuvered directly ahead of and around the C-208," creating what the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) described as a "serious aviation safety risk."

The airspace over areas including Huangyan Dao belongs to China and is inviolable, Song noted. China's interception of any aircraft or vessels that illegally intrude into the area is justified, reasonable and lawful, and complies with both domestic and international law, he said.

"If the Philippines continues to escalate provocations and ultimately triggers an accident, the responsibility will rest entirely with the Philippine side, which will have to bear the consequences," Song said.