A Philippine plane warned a Chinese military helicopter over the South China Sea that it was "flying too close," as tension between the U.S. ally and Beijing soars.

A Chinese navy helicopter flew within 10 feet of a Philippine patrol plane on Tuesday in a disputed area of the the South China Sea, as the Filipino pilot warned by radio: “You are flying too close, you are very dangerous.

MANILA - The Philippine coast guard accused the Chinese navy of performing dangerous flight manoeuvres on Feb 18, when it flew close to a government aircraft patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. “This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers,” the coast guard said in a statement.

A Chinese military helicopter flew within 10 feet (3 meters) of a Philippine patrol plane over the South China Sea on Tuesday, in what observers said was the second incident of potentially catastrophic behavior by the People’s Liberation Army against foreign aircraft in a week.

Footage release by the Philippine coast guard shows a Chinese navy helicopter flying close to a Philippine aircraft patrolling over a disputed area of the South China Sea on Tuesday, 18 February. According to the coast guard,