The Philippine Coast Guard has accused a Chinese ship of temporarily blinding its crew by firing a military-grade laser at one of its boats in the disputed South China Sea.
The incident took place on February 6, about 20 kilometers from the Ayungin sandbar, in the Spratly Islands, which Manila occupies militarily. According to a press release from the Philippine government, one of its patrol boats was trying to take food and supplies to a Navy vessel anchored there when it was hit twice by a green laser launched by the Beijing vessel.
The text also states that the Chinese Coast Guard performed “dangerous maneuvers” when approaching the Philippine vessel at a distance of 140 meters and calls the action a “flagrant disrespect and clear violation of Philippine sovereign rights in this region”. When asked about the case, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the boat from Manila was in Beijing waters without authorization.
The Asian giant claims 85% of the maritime stretch, overlapping the claims of countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei — and, of course, the Philippines. Since 2021, Manila and Beijing have exchanged accusations regarding military maneuvers and blockades in the disputed area.
The episode takes place amid an escalation of tension in the Indo-Pacific, an area that has been gaining strength in the geopolitical chessboard due to the prospect of becoming the scene of conflicts between China and the US.
It is no secret Washington’s intention to ally with countries in the region to establish military bases, especially after the visit, in August, of the then Speaker of the US House, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan.
Last week, the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, announced the success of negotiations with the Philippines for the Americans to use four more military bases in the country. It is an expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The Pentagon described the pact as an opportunity to “enable faster response to humanitarian and climate disasters in the Philippines and a response to shared challenges”.
In practice, however, the agreement will give the Americans an important strategic advantage: deterring Chinese expansion in the South China Sea. The area is one of the most important maritime trade routes in the world, through which about 80% of the oil and gas imported by the Chinese annually pass.
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