China's air force is again being called out for 'dangerous' moves over the South China Sea, this time for popping flares in front of a US ally's aircraft

• The Philippines said two Chinese jets flew dangerously close to one of its planes over the South China Sea.
• It said the Chinese aircraft also released multiple flares in the plane's path.

A key US ally has accused China of dangerous behavior in the skies above the South China Sea, saying two Chinese Air Force jets flew close to a Philippine transport plane and released flares in its flight path.

It's the latest complaint about aggressive behavior by China's pilots from a US ally in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Philippines accused China of provocative actions violating lawful international flight operation on Saturday, saying two Chinese Air Force aircraft endangered a Philippine Air Force NC-212i light transport plane flying above the South China Sea last Thursday.

The Chinese jets also fired numerous flares into the plane's path, the country said. The Philippines condemned the Chinese military's actions, characterizing them as "dangerous and provocative."

While details have been limited, one anonymous top Philippine security official told The Associated Press the Chinese jets flew very closely to the plane, while another security officer said they fired at least eight flares.

Although the turbo-prop aircraft's crew was unharmed, the incident put them in danger, Manila said, noting that the aircraft was conducting a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal.

The area where the incident occurred is notably contested between the two nations and has seen major maritime confrontations, especially in the last few months.

In response to the Philippine's accusations against its pilots, Beijing defended their actions, noting that they had repeatedly warned the Philippine aircraft it was intruding in Chinese airspace during military training exercises. China added that the response was lawful and safe.

This recent incident comes only a few months after a Chinese jet released flares into the path of an Australian MH-60R Seahawk helicopter over the Yellow Sea, putting the aircraft and its crew in danger.

The Australian aircraft was patrolling the area to ensure the enforcement of United Nations Security Council sanctions. China accused Australia of conducting reconnaissance during its military training activities and said its actions were legal.

Incidents of this sort are not new, though, as China has been called out before for this sort of behavior.

Two years ago, a Chinese fighter jet released chaff in front of an Australian P-8 Poseidon aircraft flying over the South China Sea, with some of the metallic debris entering the plane's engine. And around that same time, a Chinese warship was accused of using lasers to interfere with another P-8.

China's efforts to enforce its sovereignty claims in areas like the South China Sea have also led to an increasing number of dangerous intercepts with US aircraft.

Last fall, the US Department of Defense said in an annual report that it had documented more than 180 coercive or risky intercepts by Chinese aircraft since fall 2021, more in just two years than the entire previous decade.