China’s military said it drove away three Philippines aircraft “illegally” flying over the disputed Spratly Islands, marking the second aerial incident this week involving Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.

A Philippine plane warned a Chinese military helicopter over the South China Sea that it was "flying too close," as tension between the U.S. ally and Beijing soars.

While Russia's war against Ukraine and a wavering transatlantic alliance drew the world's attention at this year's Munich Security Conference, sparks also flew over claims in the Sea as debate involving participants representing Beijing and Manila dug into their positions in the region.

The South China Sea is an important shipping route that holds significant oil and gas reserves.

Beijing says 2 Filipino aircraft ‘illegally intruded’ into China's airspace over Huangyan Island, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc - Anadolu Ajansı