The U.S. said China’s move to aim a military-grade laser light at a Philippine ship in an area claimed by both nations in the South China Sea was “provocative and unsafe” and directly threatens peace and stability in the region.
The U.S. State Department, in an emailed statement, reaffirmed that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the coast guard in the South China Sea, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under the two allies’ mutual defense treaty.
Manila’s coast guard on Monday reported that a Chinese coast guard ship “illuminated” a green laser light twice toward a Philippine vessel on Feb. 6 while the latter was on a resupply mission near Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal. The incident caused “temporary blindness” to the crew, it said.
China’s behavior infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and undermines the rules-based international order, the U.S. State Department said, throwing its support behind the Philippines.
“It is 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,” Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Medel Aguilar told reporters on Monday.
Asked about the incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the Philippine ship “intruded in the area without authorization,” urging the Philippines “to respect China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and avoid actions that might escalate the situation.”
Tensions between Manila and Beijing have risen recently as China increases its presence in the South China Sea. Chinese ships have been regularly seen trailing Philippine fishing vessels, often intercepting them and forcing them to divert from contested areas.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to discuss maritime differences amicably during Marcos’s visit to Beijing in January. Earlier this month, the U.S. and the Philippines have agreed to resume joint patrols in the South China Sea amid lingering tensions with China in the disputed waters.
