Manila, Feb. 20 -- The United States Department of State on Thursday described China's recent dangerous flight maneuvers against a Filipino aircraft as "reckless" and a "threat" to navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.

A People's Liberation Army Navy helicopter, identified by tail number 68, performed dangerous flight maneuvers towards a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft while the latter was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight over the territorial airspace of Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday.

It follows a separate incident where a Chinese fighter jet deployed flares close to an Australian aircraft that was on a routine maritime patrol in the South China Sea.

Amid such actions, State Department spokesp...