A Chinese warship emitting a green laser is seen near Ayungin Shoal in the South China Sea on June 6. (Provided by the Philippine Coast Guard/Cooperative)
[Manila, Beijing]The Philippine Coast Guard said on the 13th that a patrol vessel that was on a replenishment mission to the navy near the Ayungin Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on the 6th received a laser from a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. He said he had been irradiated. The crew was temporarily blinded and the ship’s dangerous maneuvering was denounced as a “clear violation of sovereignty”.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a news conference on Thursday that China had defended its sovereignty through “restraint” actions.
Security forces said the ship fired two green lasers. It approached about 140 meters behind the patrol boat. “We will maintain our presence and assert our sovereignty to protect our territory,” the security force said in a statement.