The confirmation of what is unfolding to be a possible foreign intrusion into Philippine territorial airspace was made by the Armed Forces of the Philippines just hours after the arrival of Chinese Defense Minister Lian Guanglie into the country for his five-day official visit, which is being made upon the invitation of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

The military, through an official statement issued through its public affairs office, did not also identify the fighter jets, which military officials earlier claimed would possibly be MIG-29s, and are “possibly owned by the Chinese Air Force.”

“There could not have been any provocation on the part of the jets since they maintained their courses. Contrails come from water vapors forming at the wingtips of an aircraft normally at 24,000 feet or higher,” the statement said.

“Fighter jets normally fly [on] formation close to their intended target when they have to identify it and go lower in a fighting wing position, usually attacking the rear of another aircraft if it is hostile. In this case, there was nothing of that sort that was observed. The jets were transiting towards an intended destination,” it added.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Eduardo Oban said the incident justifies the need of the military to upgrade its capabilities in order to protect the country’s territory and its vast maritime assets.

“Equipment acquisition is imperative…It may cost a lot of money, but the Philippines cannot afford to remain an idle spectator in a region that is increasingly gearing itself towards a modern and better defense capability,” he said.

The military said the two unidentified jets were sighted near the vicinity of the disputed territories in the Spratlys on May 11 by two Philippine Air Force OV-10 that are on routine maritime air patrol.

Based on the report, the two Air Force’s Bronco bombers left an Air Force base in Palawan at around 7:20 a.m. and proceeded to patrol Seahorse, Sandy and Marie-Louise Shoals; Reed and Templar Banks; and Fairey Queen Shoals, all and near the Spratlys.

At around 10 a.m., and while the Broncos were heading back to their base, their pilots spotted contrails of an aircraft at an “18,000 to, 20,000 feet or higher.” The patrolling bombers were flying at the altitude of 5,500 feet.

The military said the pilots initially suspected the aircraft was a passenger plane but the two distinct set of contrails led them to believe the exhaust belong to fighter jets.

“The jets were initially observed coming in from their left, passing them from above and still maintaining course and altitude, proceeding to their destination, which is toward the southwest of the western Philippine Sea,” it said.

Guanglie, upon his arrival at the airport, immediately extended China’s Ministry of Defense and that of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s cordial greetings to the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and to the Filipino people.

A copy of his statement, which was provided by the Department of National Defense, said he was in the country to “enhance understanding, build mutual trust, expand common ground, promote cooperation, and push for the continued advancement” of the “state-to-state and military-to-military relations” between China and the Philippines.

However, the Chinese defense minister did not categorically say whether he will discuss the issue of the Spratlys with officials while in the country.

The Spratlys is being claimed by Brunei, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia, apart from China and the Philippines.

Guanglie, who is also a state counselor was met at the airport by Defense Undersecretary for Legal, Legislative Affairs and Strategic Concerns Pio Lorenzo Batino. He will meet with Gazmin on Monday.

The Chinese official also did not say whether he will tackle China’s reported incursions into Philippine territories as claimed by Manila, one of which was the incident in March wherein Chinese gunboats reportedly “bullied” a civilian vessel while it was conducting onshore survey at the Reed Bank near Palawan.

However, Guanglie said he was looking forward to exchanging in-depth views with government and military officials on issues of common interest.

He said China and the Philippines are “friendly neighbors,” with the friendship dating back to history, and which grew over the years.

“Recent years have witnessed the smooth development of our state-to-state relations and the steady advancement of our military-to-military cooperation. In the new historical period, the continuous growth of the friendly relations between China and the Philippines featuring mutually beneficial cooperation not only serves the fundamental interest of our two peoples, but also contributes to regional peace and stability,” Guanglie said.