The Philippines said Tuesday that a Chinese navy helicopter "performed dangerous flight maneuvers" toward a Philippine patrol plane, flying within three meters of it over the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippine exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.

The US condemned a Chinese Navy chopper’s dangerous moves near Scarborough Shoal, stressing that the 1951 US-PH defense treaty covers attacks in the South China Sea.

Manila's coast guard said the Chinese navy helicopter performed dangerous flight maneuvers when it flew close to a government aircraft conducting surveillance over the Scarborough Shoal

A Risky Confrontation in the Sky Tensions escalated once again over the contested Scarborough Shoal as the Chinese military expelled a Philippine aircraft from its airspace. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reported that a C-208 light utility aircraft,