On Saturday, a Chinese Navy helicopter harassed Filipino researchers conducting a survey at sandbars off the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, the same day that China Coast Guard (CCG) ships assaulted a Philippine supply boat with water cannons near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter with tail No. 57 hovered above at a close distance of 20 meters while the researchers were doing a survey at Cays 3 and 4, part of the four sandbars off Pag-asa.
The chopper’s downwash was a dangerous attempt to drive away the researchers in the mission.
In one video shown to the Inquirer, the Filipinos panicked while sand and corals splashed as the chopper hovered closely from the above.
The chopper flew at a low distance for more than five minutes. The Filipino researchers were part of a point marine research expedition composed of the PCG, the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Department of Agriculture-National Fisheries Research and Development that were also harassed last week by the Chinese coast guard and militia ships in two other sandbars.
There are four sandbars within Pag-asa’s 22-kilometer territorial sea that is adjacent to its neighbouring military outpost in Zamora Reef, one of China’s artificial military outposts located about 26 km away.
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