The Philippine coast guard accused a Chinese Coast Guard vessel of pointing a "military" laser at some of its crew members, temporarily blinding them on a ship in the disputed waters of southern China last week.

written by| Juls Mcmahon

Manila - Feb 13, 2023   

   Asia section - CJ journalist

The Philippine Coast Guard also claimed in a statement posted on its official Facebook page, that the Chinese vessel "performed dangerous maneuvers" in approaching within 150 yards (137 meters) from the Philippine vessel, with images allegedly showing a green laser beam.

The incident allegedly occurred on February 6 near the "Second Thomas Shoal" area, in the Spratly island chain, known in China as the Nansha Islands.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the Philippine vessel "penetrated the waters of the Renai reef without permission from the Chinese side".

"The Chinese maritime police ship defended China's sovereignty and maritime order in accordance with Chinese domestic law and international law," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, without specifying the action taken by the Chinese side.

China claims "indisputable sovereignty" over all of the nearly 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within it. This includes the Spratly Islands, an archipelago consisting of 100 small islands and reefs claimed in whole or in part by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

The Philippines calls the area the West Philippine Sea, and in 1999 deliberately grounded a Navy transport ship, the "BRB Sierra Madre", on the Thomas Shoal II, which is still operated by the Philippine Marines to enforce Manila's claim to the area.

In the February 6 incident, the Philippine ship " PRP Malapascua "was on a resupply mission to the" Sierra Madre " when it was intercepted by the Chinese ship, the Philippine statement alleged.

"The Chinese ship illuminated the green laser light twice in the direction of the PRP Malapascua, which caused temporary blindness of its crew at the bridge, "the statement added. The Chinese ship also made dangerous maneuvers by approaching about 150 yards from the starboard quarter of the ship,"he said.

"The deliberate blocking of Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel on board the Sierra Madre PRB is a blatant disregard and a clear violation of Philippine sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea,"the statement said.

In February 2022, Australia claimed that an Australian P-8A, a reconnaissance aircraft and an anti-submarine warfare aircraft, was "lit up" by a Chinese people's Liberation Army Navy warship while flying over the Arafura Sea, the water body between Australia's Northern Territory and the island. The island of New Guinea is in the North.

At the time, China said the Australian allegations were "untrue".

"The normal navigation of a Chinese ship on the high seas is in accordance with relevant international law and practice and is absolutely legitimate and Legal,"a foreign ministry spokesman said last year.

In May 2019, Australian pilots said that they were targeted several times with commercial lasers during missions over the South China Sea.

In a June 2018 report, US military officials told CNN that there were at least 20 suspected Chinese laser incidents in the eastern Pacific from September 2017 to June 2018.

The alleged incident on February 6 came just days after Manila, which has a mutual defense treaty with Washington, announced plans to allow the US military access to more bases in the Philippines.

On February 2, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that this step "has led to an escalation of tension in the region and threatens regional peace and stability".

The United States has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, but US military vessels routinely operate in the waterway in accordance with international law and the freedom of the high seas.

Last year, a statement issued by the US State Department called on China to "end its provocative actions and respect international law in the South China Sea".

Source - (CNN)