A Chinese military helicopter flew within 10 feet (3 meters) of a Philippine patrol plane over the South China Sea on Tuesday, in what observers said was the second incident of potentially catastrophic behavior by the People’s Liberation Army against foreign aircraft in a week.

It followed Tuesday’s PLA air patrol over the contested Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China. The Chinese military activities came after the Philippines and the United States held a joint patrol over the South China Sea on Tuesday,

The same day, the PLA's Southern Theater Command's Air Force conducted a routine patrol over Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. Li Jianjian, a spokesperson for the theater command's Air Force, said the Philippines had worked with outside countries to organize "joint patrols", further undermining peace and stability in the region.