Ministry of National Defense: Chinese Military Externally Pressures and Expels Dutch Helicopter That Illegally Intruded into Paracel Islands Airspace

国防部：中国军队外逼驱离侵闯西沙领空的荷兰直升机

PLA Daily (解放军报) 28 May 2026

Summary

On May 27, PLA Southern Theater Command naval and air forces intercepted and expelled a shipborne helicopter from the Dutch Navy frigate De Ruyter after it entered airspace over the Xisha Islands (Paracels), with the Ministry of National Defense confirming the incident at its May 28 press conference and lodging formal representations with the Netherlands. Spokesperson Jiang Bin's use of 外逼驱离 — 'external pressure and expulsion' — is the PLA's standard operational term for a coercive intercept short of a shoot-down, and its appearance here documents that China applied that graduated-force framework against a NATO ally's aircraft in disputed airspace. What remains unknown is the specific altitude, proximity, and maneuvers involved, which would determine whether the intercept met the threshold of unsafe conduct under international aviation standards.

A named European NATO ally (Netherlands) conducted a naval helicopter operation over the Paracels that prompted a confirmed PLA intercept and formal diplomatic representation—an operationally specific event involving a non-U.S. Western military in disputed SCS airspace, which is analytically notable relative to routine PLA intercept reporting.

Translation

On the afternoon of May 28, the Ministry of National Defense held its regular press conference, at which Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, answered questions from reporters.

Reporter: According to reports, a Dutch military helicopter encountered a Chinese military "interception" in the South China Sea yesterday. The PLA Southern Theater Command confirmed this on the same day. What is the Ministry of National Defense's comment on this?

Jiang Bin: Recently, a shipborne helicopter from the Dutch Navy frigate De Ruyter illegally intruded into the airspace of China's Xisha Islands (西沙群岛), gravely violating China's sovereignty and damaging China's security interests. The Chinese military organized naval and air forces to take forceful measures to externally pressure and expel it (外逼驱离), and lodged solemn representations with the Dutch side.

The Xisha Islands are China's inherent territory. The Chinese military maintains a high state of alert at all times and will resolutely defend territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. We urge the Dutch side to cease its rights-infringing, reckless, and provocative actions, strictly restrain the actions of its frontline naval and air forces, and avoid the occurrence of unexpected maritime and air incidents.

Original Chinese

5月28日下午，国防部举行例行记者会，国防部新闻发言人蒋斌大校答记者问。记者：据报道，荷兰军用直升机昨天在南海遭遇中国军队的“拦截”。解放军南部战区当天予以证实。请问国防部对此有何评论？蒋斌：近日，荷兰海军“德鲁伊特”号护卫舰1架舰载直升机非法侵闯中国西沙群岛领空，严重侵犯中国主权，损害中国安全利益。中国军队组织海空兵力采取有力措施，对其予以外逼驱离，并向荷方提出严正交涉。西沙群岛是中国固有领土。中国军队时刻保持高度戒备，坚决捍卫领土主权和海洋权益。我们敦促荷方停止侵权、冒险和挑衅行径，严格约束一线海空兵力行动，以免发生海空不测事件。