US criticises China's laser lights use against Philippines Coast Guard ship

The Philippine Coast Guard has accused a Chinese vessel of shining a "military-grade laser light" at one of its boats. - AP

WASHINGTON (AFP): The United States on Monday (Feb 13) criticised China's reported use of military-grade laser light against a Philippine coast guard vessel in the disputed South China Sea last week, which left the ship's crew temporarily blinded.

State Department Ned Price said the Chinese coastguard's "conduct was provocative and unsafe, resulting in the temporary blindness of the crew members."

"The United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People's Republic of China Coast Guard's reported use of laser devices against the crew of a Philippine Coast Guard ship," Price said.

The incident happened on Feb 6 nearly 20km (2 miles) from Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, where Philippine marines are stationed, the Philippine Coast Guard said earlier Monday.

There has been a series of maritime incidents between the Philippines and China, which claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has ignored an international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

Days before this latest incident, the United States and the Philippines agreed to resume joint patrols in the sea, and struck a deal to give US troops access to another four military bases in the South-East Asian country.

Price said that China's "dangerous operational behaviour directly threatens regional peace and stability, infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea... and undermines the rules-based international order."