An aerial drone photo taken on May 2, 2026 shows reefs in the territorial waters of China's Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

The PLA Southern Theater Command said on Friday that three Philippine aircraft illegally entered China's territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao without approval, prompting Chinese naval and air forces to track, monitor and issue verbal warnings to the aircraft.

On Friday, three small Philippine aircraft - an Islander, a C-208, and a PA-31T - illegally intruded into China's territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao without approval of the Chinese government. The naval and air forces dispatched by the PLA Southern Theater Command (STC) tracked and monitored the Philippine aircraft, and issued verbal warnings to them in accordance with laws and regulations, senior Colonel Li Jianjian, spokesperson for the PLA STC Air Force, said in a statement on Friday.

The acts of the Philippine side seriously violate China's sovereignty, and are highly likely to cause misunderstanding and miscalculation. "We sternly warn the Philippine side to stop rights-violation and provocative acts immediately. Forces of the STC remain on high alert at all times to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability," said the spokesperson.