The Philippine Coast Guard has accused the Chinese Navy of engaging in perilous flight maneuvers on Tuesday, as it approached a government aircraft that was monitoring a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, a claim that Beijing has contested.

“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers,” stated the coast guard in an official release.

According to the coast guard, the government fisheries aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight over the Scarborough Shoal, a rocky atoll and significant fishing area located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

A helicopter from the People’s Liberation Army Navy reportedly flew within three meters of the aircraft, which the Philippine coast guard described as a “clear violation and blatant disregard” for aviation regulations.

In response, the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command asserted that the Philippine aircraft had “illegally intruded” into Chinese airspace and accused the Philippines of “spreading false narratives.” The Southern Theatre Command further stated that China’s naval and air forces were deployed to monitor, warn, and escort the aircraft away, claiming that the Philippines’ actions “severely violated” China’s sovereignty.

Scarborough Shoal, named after a British vessel that ran aground there nearly three centuries ago, is one of the most disputed maritime features in the South China Sea, where tensions between Beijing and Manila have frequently escalated. China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, a crucial route for over $3 trillion in annual maritime trade, leading to conflicts with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. A 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China’s extensive claims, but Beijing has refused to acknowledge the decision.