The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) says a China Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea last week momentarily blinded several of its personnel with a "military grade" laser.
The PCG accused the Chinese ship of "dangerous" tactics when it reached within 150 yards (137 meters) of the Philippine vessel. It posted photographs of the laser's green beam on its Facebook page, according to a CNN report.
The incident reportedly happened on February 6 at Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, in the Spratly Islands, known in China as the Nansha Islands.
On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported that a Philippine Coast Guard "trespassed" into the seas of Renai Reef "without the permission of the Chinese side."
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China asserts "indisputable sovereignty" over the majority of the islands and almost the whole 1.3 million square miles South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan claim the Spratlys, an archipelago of 100 mini islands and reefs.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately answer a request for comment. The office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not provide comment, instead directing the media to the Philippine Coast Guard statement.
Another Case of Chinese Aggression
China has been blamed for deploying lasers in the area before.
In February of last year, a Chinese naval ship pointed a laser at a military surveillance plane in Australia. The incident was called an "act of intimidation" by the Australian government, per Reuters.
The news of the latest China conflict incident broke as Marcos stated his willingness to negotiate a visiting forces agreement (VFA) with Japan to improve maritime safety.
Last month, a wall of green lasers was recorded on video in a telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
NASA has said that the green lasers seen above Hawaii were not caused by its satellite. The agency said, more likely, it was from a satellite launched by China, as per a Vice story.
The China conflict with the US intensifies further after the United States last week shot down a Chinese balloon that it believed was a China spy balloon. China condemned the US action, saying the balloon was used for weather research, per an earlier HNGN report.
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