The South China Sea is heating up! Malaysia Deploys Fighter Jets to Repel Chinese Military Aircraft Pesawat
The South China Sea is heating up! Malaysia Deploys Fighter Jets to Repel Chinese Military Aircraft Pesawat
Illustration of a fighter jet in the air. [AFP]
Suara.com - Malaysia is moving to deploy a number of fighter jets to intercept sixteen Chinese military aircraft off the coast of the South China Sea. The rare incident drew the ire of Malaysia's Foreign Minister on Tuesday (1/6/2021), who called it an "intrusion."
The incident occurred on Monday (31/5/2021) in Malaysian territory, the part of the island of Borneo above the bitterly disputed waters, where China and Malaysia have overlapping claims to the territory.
The transport aircraft belonging to the Chinese air force approached Malaysian airspace in a "tactical formation" and flew at a distance of about 60 nautical miles from the coast, the Malaysian air force said in a statement.
They appeared on radar and several attempts were made to contact the planes, but they did not turn around.
As they approached, the Malaysian air force deployed several aircraft to intercept and identify them before the Chinese military planes passed.
The Malaysian air force described the existence of the planes as "suspicious".
The aircraft did not enter Malaysian airspace over the country's territorial waters.
But Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said they had flown over Malaysia's "maritime zone" - an area that stretches further from the coast - and described it as an "intrusion."
The foreign ministry will lodge a protest with Beijing and summon the Chinese ambassador to provide "an explanation regarding the violation of Malaysia's airspace and sovereignty," it said in a statement.
"Malaysia's stance is clear - having friendly diplomatic relations with any country does not mean that we will jeopardize our national security," he said.
"Malaysia remains steadfast in defending our dignity and sovereignty," he said.
China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea and has built numerous military posts on small islands and atolls. The move angered other countries that also claim the waters.
Despite overlapping claims, relations between Malaysia and China are usually friendly, but Monday's incident was seen as unusual.
However, there has been tension in the area in the past.
Last year, a Chinese survey vessel had a long tussle with a Malaysian oil exploration vessel off the coast of Borneo.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the South China Sea.
The United States has also sent warships into the waters to assert the international right to freedom of navigation. America's actions angered China.
