China says it drove away Philippine aircraft over disputed shoal

BEIJING, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The Chinese military said on Tuesday it had organised naval and air forces to warn and drive away a Philippine government aircraft which "illegally intruded" into the airspace over Scarborough Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.

"We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop infringing upon China's rights and cease provocations and irresponsible hype," a spokesperson for the military's Southern Theatre Command said in a statement.

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Maritime Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.