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The U.S. Department of State, on Feb. 13, officially condemned China’s reported use of a “military-grade laser” on a Philippine Coast Guard ship during a resupply mission in the South China Sea.
The event took place on Feb. 6 during an attempt to deliver food and supplies to a military outpost on the remote Second Thomas Shoal within the politically disputed waters of the Spratly Islands.
Manila officials reported a Chinese Coast Guard ship used a laser against the Philippine vessel, temporarily blinding members of its crew on the bridge.
The State Department responded to Beijing’s actions on Feb. 13, calling them “provocative and unsafe.”
“The United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard’s reported use of laser devices against the crew of a Philippine Coast Guard ship,” department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
In the brief, Price reminded China of the outcome of the international tribunal in July 2016.
