Philippines protests China ‘laser use’

Bloomberg

The Philippines has protested China’s move to aim a military-grade laser at a Philippine ship in the South China Sea which the US said was “provocative and unsafe” and threatens peace and stability in the region.
The diplomatic protest, filed with the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday, “condemned the shadowing, harassment, dangerous maneuvers, directing of military-grade laser, and illegal radio challenges” by a Chinese coast guard vessel against a Philippine ship on Feb. 6, Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The Philippine coast guard on Monday reported that a Chinese coast guard ship “illuminated” a green laser light twice toward Philippine vessel BRP Malapascua while it was on a resupply mission near Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea. The incident caused “temporary blindness” to the crew, it said.