‘PROVOCATIVE ACT’

China Fired ‘Military-Grade Laser’ at Our Ship, Philippines Says

Some of the vessel’s crew were temporarily blinded.

The Philippine Coast Guard says a Chinese Coast Guard vessel pointed a powerful “military-grade laser” at one of their ships last week. Manila says several crew members were temporarily blinded by the bright green light which shone between the ships in the South China sea on Feb. 6. The incident allegedly took place as the Philippine Coast Guard was resupplying marines on board a vessel deliberately grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to maintain Manila’s claim over the contested Spratly archipelago. “I think it’s time for the Chinese government to restrain its forces so that it does not commit any provocative act that will endanger the lives of people,” military spokesperson Medel Aguilar told reporters. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday accused the Philippines’ vessel of having “trespassed.”