A green light appears from the direction of a Chinese coast guard ship at the Second Thomas Shoal, 105 nautical miles off the Palawan Province, Philippines, February 6, 2023 in this handout image. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS
Philippines
Philippines says Coastguard crew got temporarily blinded by Chinese Laser
The Philippine Coast Guard said Monday that when China’s coast guard aimed a “military grade” laser earlier this month at a Philippine crew, the light temporarily blinded the crew members. The ships were in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
Images of the incident show a green light coming from the Chinese ship.
Other countries have also accused China of the same thing.
The Philippine crew was delivering food and supplies to military personnel stationed on a ship in Second Thomas Shoal, 195 kilometers off the Philippine province of Palawan.
The Philippine coast guard also accused the Chinese ship of making “dangerous maneuvers” as it approached the Philippine vessel.
China claims the entire South China Sea, but other countries have also laid claim to portions of the sea. (KB/VOA)