Chinese and Philippine naval vessels were involved in a rare stand-off near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on June 20, according to Philippine media reports cited by the South China Morning Post. It is an incident that coincided with the end of major joint military exercises involving the US and regional allies.

The confrontation reportedly took place on the same day Manila concluded Salaknib 2026, a nearly three-month exercise involving more than 7,000 troops from the Philippines, the US, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Beijing has not commented on the incident.

According to Philippine broadcaster GMA Network, the Philippine Navy’s BRP Diego Silang, a Miguel Malvar-class guided-missile frigate, encountered four Chinese warships after first meeting a single Chinese navy vessel earlier in the day.

The report said radio exchanges were made between the two sides, with each ordering the other to leave the area.

The Philippine vessel deployed an AW109 helicopter during a patrol near the shoal while travelling at around 18 knots, according to the report.

Scarborough Shoal lies around 124 nautical miles (230km, 143 miles) off the Philippine coast and about 874km from China’s Hainan province. It is claimed by both countries and has been a longstanding flashpoint in the South China Sea dispute. China took de facto control of the feature in 2012.

During the encounter, a Chinese warship accused the Philippine helicopter of entering what it described as Chinese airspace over Huangyan Dao, the Chinese name for the shoal, and said it posed a security threat.

The Philippine Navy said it was conducting a lawful operation and called on Chinese vessels to maintain distance in line with international maritime collision regulations.

GMA Network said the Chinese frigate Tongliao, hull number 554, was among the vessels shadowing the Philippine ship. It reported the encounter lasted several hours, with vessels operating at distances as close as 20 nautical miles from the shoal. The Tongliao is a Type 054A Jiangkai II-class guided-missile frigate operated by the PLA Navy’s Southern Theatre Command.

The report added that a Philippine Navy helicopter later flew over Scarborough Shoal at about 300 feet and observed that a previously reported structure had been removed, according to a Philippine Navy pilot.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs had earlier filed a formal protest over what it described as an illegal Chinese floating platform near the shoal, following satellite imagery that first indicated its presence in the area.