Beijing and Manila trade accusations after incident near Iroquois Reef in the Spratly Islands this week
3-MIN READ3-MIN1 ListenOrange WangPublished: 6:36pm, 8 May 2026Beijing and Manila have traded barbs over a Chinese research vessel near a disputed South China Sea reef, with each warning of further countermeasures, a sign of lingering tensions between the two rival claimants.In a statement issued on Thursday night, China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesman Jiang Lue said a Philippine Coast Guard Islander aircraft had “deliberately approached and harassed” China’s Xiang Yang Hong 33 scientific research vessel on Wednesday while the ship was conducting a “legitimate marine ecological survey” near Iroquois Reef.
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China slams Japan’s first overseas missile launch in 80 yearsJiang said the Chinese side tracked and monitored the Philippine aircraft and handled the situation “in accordance with laws and regulations”, with manoeuvres that were “professional and standardised throughout the whole process”.
“We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately stop illegal harassment, smearing and inflammatory propaganda,” he said.
Jiang’s comment came hours after his Philippine counterpart Jay Tarriela issued a release on social media, stating that on Wednesday the Philippines had sent an Islander 4177 surveillance aircraft for a routine maritime domain awareness mission – designed to detect, track and identify vessels and activities at sea – “specifically” challenging China’s Xiang Yang Hong 33.
Tarriela accused the Chinese oceanographic research vessel of taking “unauthorised” marine scientific research operations.
