A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol plane circled over disputed parts of the South China Sea on Tuesday at the start of an exercise with the Philippine military that has irked China.
According to Japanese and Philippine officials, the P3-C Orion surveillance plane, with three Filipino guest crew members, flew at 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above the edge of Reed Bank, an energy-rich area that is claimed by both China and the Philippines. It was accompanied by a smaller Philippine patrol aircraft.
The disputed waters are close to the Spratly Islands, which the Philippines also claims, where China is building a series of man-made islands.