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Philippines president summons Chinese ambassador over laser incident




 


Philippines summons Chinese envoy over laser incident in disputed South China sea

Philippines president summons Chinese ambassador over laser incident


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The summon has come a day after the Philippines accused a Chinese coastguard ship of using a military-grade laser light against one of its vessels, therefore, disrupting a mission in the South China sea
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Phillipines President Ferdinand Marcos has summoned a Chinese ambassador expressing "serious concerns" over increasing action by China against its vessels.
The summon has come a day after the Philippines accused a Chinese coastguard ship of using a military-grade laser light against one of its vessels, therefore, disrupting a mission in the South China sea.
The military-grade laser light reportedly also blinded a crew member of the ship.
The Philippines on Monday accused a Chinese coast guard ship of hitting a Philippine coast guard vessel with a military-grade laser and temporarily blinding some of its crew in the disputed South China Sea, calling it a &ldquo;blatant&rdquo; violation of Manila's sovereign rights.
The Chinese ship also manoeuvred dangerously close, about 137 metres (449 feet), to block the Philippine patrol vessel BRP Malapascua from approaching Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef that has been occupied by Philippine forces, on February 6, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement.
The Philippines has filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China's aggressive actions in the disputed waters in 2022 alone.
China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety, putting it on a collision course with other claimants. Despite friendly overtures to Beijing by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in January in Beijing, tensions have persisted, drawing in the closer military alliance between the Philippines and the US.
Although the Chinese coast guard had tried to block Philippine coast guard ships in the disputed waters before, this was the first time it used lasers and caused physical suffering among Filipino personnel, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told The Associated Press.
&ldquo;The Chinese ship illuminated the green laser light twice toward the BRP Malapascua, causing temporary blindness to her crew at the bridge,&rdquo; the Philippine statement said.
A video issued by the coast guard in Manila shows a Chinese coast guard ship cutting across the path of a Philippine vessel from a distance. A green laser-like light is later emitted by the Chinese ship.
The Philippine military said it's time for China to restrain its forces from committing &ldquo;any provocative act that will endanger the lives of people.&rdquo; Spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar told reporters that the Philippine defence chief deemed the Chinese coast guard's action &ldquo;offensive and unsafe.&rdquo; In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said a Philippine coast guard vessel trespassed into Chinese waters without permission on February 6. Chinese coast guard vessels responded &ldquo;professionally and with restraint at the site in accordance with China's law and international law,&rdquo; he said, without elaborating and mentioning the use of laser.
&ldquo;We hope the Philippines will earnestly respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and avoid any actions that may lead to the expansion of the dispute and complication of the situation,&rdquo; Wang said in reply to a question at a daily media briefing. &ldquo;China and the Philippines are maintaining communication through diplomatic channels in this regard." The Philippine vessel was forced to move away from the area, where it was escorting a supply vessel that was delivering food and sailors to a Philippine navy sentry ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which has been marooned on Second Thomas Shoal since 1999, the coast guard said.
&ldquo;The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel on board the BRP Sierra Madre is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea,&rdquo; the coast guard said, using the name the Philippines has adopted for the stretch of waters close to its western coast.
It was not immediately clear if the Philippine resupply mission pushed through despite the incident.
The Chinese coast guard also blocked Philippine ships escorting a supply vessel from approaching Second Thomas Shoal in August, the coast guard said. At the time, one of the two Chinese ships that were joined by two Chinese civilian vessels removed the cover of its 70mm armament, the coast guard said, adding it would not be deterred by China's aggression in protecting Philippine sovereignty in the disputed sea.
Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, where a bulk of the world's commerce and oil transits.
The United States lays no claims to the disputed sea but has deployed forces to patrol the waters to promote freedom of navigation and overflight &mdash; moves that have angered Beijing, which has warned Washington to stop meddling in what it says is a purely Asian dispute.
The US Navy and Marine Corps held joint exercises in the South China Sea over the weekend at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The US has been taking steps to rebuild its military might in the Philippines more than 30 years after the closure of its large bases in the country and reinforcing an arc of military alliances in Asia.
(with agency inputs)
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This was the first time it used a laser light and caused physical suffering among Filipino coast guard personnel, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told The Associated Press.

China used lasers to blind Philippine coast guard crew in disputed South China Sea: PCG's allegation

This was the first time that China used a laser light and caused physical suffering among Filipino personnel, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told The Associated Press.

A Chinese coast guard ship twice hit a Philippine coast guard vessel with a &ldquo;military-grade laser light&rdquo; that caused temporarily blinded some of its Filipino crew in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard said Monday, calling the act a &ldquo;blatant&rdquo; violation of Manila's sovereign rights.
The Chinese coast guard ship also maneuvered dangerously close, about 150 yards (137 meters), to block the Philippine coast guard's BRP Malapascua patrol vessel from approaching the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal on Feb. 6, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement.
The Philippines has filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China's aggressive actions in the disputed waters in 2022 alone.
Although the Chinese coast guard had tried to block Philippine coast guard ships in the disputed waters before, this was the first time it used a laser light and caused physical suffering among Filipino coast guard personnel, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told The Associated Press.
There was no immediate comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
&ldquo;The Chinese ship illuminated the green laser light twice toward the BRP Malapascua, causing temporary blindness to her crew at the bridge,&rdquo; the Philippine coast guard said. &ldquo;The Chinese vessel also made dangerous maneuvers by approaching about 150 yards from the vessel's starboard quarter.&rdquo;
The Chinese coast guard's aggressive actions forced the BRP Malapascua to veer away from the offshore area, where it was escorting a Philippine supply vessel that was delivering food and Filipino sailors to a Philippine navy sentry ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which has long been marooned on Second Thomas shoal, the coast guard said.
&ldquo;The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel on board the BRP Sierra Madre is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea,&rdquo; the coast guard said, using the name the Philippines has adopted for the stretch of waters close to its western coast.
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It was not immediately clear if the Philippine resupply mission pushed through despite the incident. The coast guard has reported the incident to an inter-agency body monitoring the South China Sea and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, Balilo said.
China's increasingly assertive actions in the strategic waterway, which it claims virtually in its entirety, has continued despite friendly overtures by former President Rodrigo Duterte &mdash; whose term ended in June &mdash; and his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who met Chinese President Xi Jinping in January on a visit to Beijing.
The Chinese coast guard also blocked Philippine coast guard vessels escorting a Filipino supply vessel from approaching the Second Thomas Shoal in August, the coast guard said.
One of two Chinese coast guard ships that were joined by two Chinese militia vessels removed the cover of its 70mm armament during the blockade, the coast guard said, adding it would not be deterred by China's aggression in protecting Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights in the disputed sea.
&ldquo;The Philippine coast guard will continue to exercise due diligence in protecting the country's territorial integrity against foreign aggression,&rdquo; coast guard Adm. Artemio Abu said.
Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, where a bulk of the world's commerce and oil transits.
The United States lays no claims to the disputed sea but has deployed its Navy ships, aircraft carriers and Air Force jets to patrol the waters to promote freedom of navigation and overflight &mdash; moves that have angered Beijing, which has warned Washington to stop meddling in what it says is a purely Asian dispute.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps held joint exercises in the South China Sea over the weekend at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The U.S. has been taking steps to rebuild its military might in the Philippines more than 30 years after the closure of its large bases in the country and reinforcing an arc of military alliances in Asia.

Chinese pilot flew in front of the nose of US aircraft over South China sea, says US Army
 
 

Chinese pilot flew in front of the nose of US aircraft over South China sea, says US Army
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A Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously within 20 feet (six meters) of a much larger US air force surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea, the US military said Thursday.
In the December 21 incident, a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter pilot "performed an unsafe maneuver during an intercept of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft," the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
The Chinese pilot flew in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the US aircraft, "forcing the RC-135 to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision," it said.
The RC-135, "was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace," the US command said.
The incident came as China has sent increasingly large groups of warplanes out over the sea towards Taiwan in a show of force, as Beijing stiffens its claim of sovereignty over the US-backed, self-ruled island.
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Chinese coast guard seizes rocket debris from Filipino navy

Philippines accuses China of seizing rocket debris from its navy in disputed waters

Philipines accuses China of seizing rocket debris from its navy in disputed waters

A Philippines military commander said the Chinese vessel twice blocked the Philippine naval boat before seizing off Philippine-occupied Thitu Island.

The Chinese coast guard forcibly seized floating debris the Philippine navy was towing to its island in another confrontation in the disputed South China Sea, a Philippine military commander said Monday. The debris appeared to be from a Chinese rocket launch.
The Chinese vessel twice blocked the Philippine naval boat before seizing the debris it was towing Sunday off Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said Monday. He said no one was injured in the incident.
It's the latest flare-up in long-seething territorial disputes in the strategic waterway, involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Chinese coast guard ships have blocked Philippine supply boats delivering supplies to Filipino forces in the disputed waters in the past, but seizing objects in the possession of another nation's military constituted a more brazen act.
Carlos said the Filipino sailors, using a long-range camera on Thitu island, spotted the debris drifting in strong waves near a sandbar about 800 yards (540 meters) away. They set out on a boat and retrieved the floating object and started to tow it back to their island using a rope tied to their boat.
As the Filipino sailors were moving back to their island, &ldquo;they noticed that China coast guard vessel with bow number 5203 was approaching their location and subsequently blocked their pre-plotted course twice,&rdquo; Carlos said in a statement.
The Chinese coast guard vessel then deployed an inflatable boat with personnel who &ldquo;forcefully retrieved said floating object by cutting the towing line attached to the&rdquo; Filipino sailors' rubber boat. The Filipino sailors decided to return to their island, Carlos said, without detailing what happened.
Maj. Cherryl Tindog, spokesperson of the military's Western Command, said the floating metal object appeared similar to a number of other pieces of Chinese rocket debris recently found in Philippine waters. She added the Filipino sailors did not fight the seizure.
&ldquo;We practice maximum tolerance in such a situation,&rdquo; Tindog told reporters. &ldquo;Since it involved an unidentified object and not a matter of life and death, our team just decided to return.&rdquo; Metal debris from Chinese rocket launches, some showing a part of what appears to be Chinese flag, have been found in Philippine waters in at least three other instances.
Rockets launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on China's Hainan island in recent months have carried construction materials and supplies for China's crewed space station.
China has been criticized previously for allowing rocket stages to fall to Earth uncontrolled. The Philippine Space Agency earlier this month pressed for the Philippines to ratify U.N. treaties providing a basis for compensation for harm from other nations' space debris, and NASA accused Beijing last year of &ldquo;failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris&rdquo; after parts of a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean.
The Philippine government has filed many diplomatic protests against China over aggressive actions in the South China Sea but it did not immediately say what action it would take following Sunday's incident. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila would usually wait for an official investigation report before lodging a protest.
Thitu island, which Filipinos call Pag-asa, hosts a fishing community and Filipino forces and lies near Subi, one of seven disputed reefs in the offshore region that China has turned into missile-protected islands, including three with runways, which U.S. security officials say now resemble military forward bases.
The Philippines and other smaller claimant nations in the disputed region, backed by the United States and other Western countries, have strongly protested and raised alarm over China's increasingly aggressive actions in the busy waterway.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is visiting Manila, is scheduled to fly to the western province of Palawan, which faces the South China Sea, on Tuesday to underscore American support to the Philippines and renew U.S. commitment to defend its longtime treaty ally if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under attack in the disputed waters.
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One of the fastest cruise missiles in the world, virtually impossible to intercept. A 'fire and forget' weapon of destruction. When the BrahMos missile was accidentally launched, and fell into India's nuclear-powered enemy nation Pakistan, alarm and worry were expected.
This incident raised questions about how India stores and operates its deadly missile arsenal. Let's take a look at the BrahMos launch process and the fail-safes.
The firing process consists of a series steps, providing multiple checkpoints to prevent accidents. The fail-safes include a series of software locks which need to be authorised at various levels. After this is a physical process in which two manual keys need to be turned. After the key stage, the countdown to launch is initiated, and finally the BrahMos missile is launched.
ALSO WATCH | Indian missile accident exposes Pakistan's weakness? Chinese weapons can't stop BrahMos?
Despite all these safety features, how did the missile misfire occur in March 2022?
Reports suggest that at the time of the incident, a missile unit near Ambala, Haryana was undergoing inspection. This included checking of safety, and operational efficiency. A deviation from standard operating procedure for BrahMos led to the launch of an unarmed missile. A probe found 3 Indian Air Force officers guilty of violating missile SOPs. A Group Captain commanding the missile unit, a Wing Commander, and a Squadron Leader were reportedly found responsible.
Meanwhile, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer took quick action which helped avert a bigger disaster after the missile had been launched.
The incident expectedly caused concern among government officials.
Following the missile misfire, the Indian government reviewed standard operating procedures for missile units. Operations, maintenance, and inspection SOPs were reviewed and updated. Firing and training protocols were also revised for Indian Air Force missile units. Additional safety measures were also implemented.
The government was quick to take action because the BrahMos is a very important weapon, and not just for the country's defence.
The BrahMos is also a major part of India's defence diplomacy. The Philippines is buying 3 BrahMos batteries for $375 mn. Indonesia is also considering buying ship-borne BrahMos missiles. Vietnam is another nation in the region interested in acquiring the cruise missile system. India is also reportedly in talks with Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa for BrahMos export deals.
The BrahMos can also play a vital role in India's pushback against an aggressive China.
One ASEAN member - the Philippines - is already buying the missiles, while two more are interested. This is significant because many ASEAN members have territorial disputes with China. The cause of the tension is Beijing's illegal expansion in the South China Sea via artificial islands. China is trying to militarily bully smaller countries in the region, and if these nations get defence aid from India, it would boost Delhi's currency in the region.
In such a situation, questions about BrahMos' safety and reliability would have been counter-productive for India. But with human error having been found responsible for the missile misfire incident, export of the missiles is unlikely to face hurdles.
Meanwhile, India and Russia's joint venture which makes the BrahMos is already working on making more effective and deadly versions of the weapon.
One of the newer versions is an extended range BrahMos. Its reach has reportedly been increased from 290 km to 350 km. The first successful test-firing of this version was conducted in May 2022. The missile was fired from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI jet, and achieved direct hit.
Another new version is an anti-ship BrahMos - a weapon considered important in light of the Ukraine-Russia war. An anti-ship BrahMos was successfully tested in April 2022 by the Indian Navy and the Andaman &amp; Nicobar Command.
As the Indian government focuses on expanding the domestic defence industry, and boosting exports, the BrahMos can be the centrepiece of India's weapon offerings.

How Indian forces launch BrahMos missile: process, fail-safes explained; how Pakistan accident occurred

The BrahMos missile firing process consists of a series steps, providing multiple checkpoints to prevent accidents.

One of the fastest cruise missiles in the world, virtually impossible to intercept. A 'fire and forget' weapon of destruction. When the BrahMos missile was accidentally launched, and fell into India's nuclear-powered enemy nation Pakistan, alarm and worry were expected.
This incident raised questions about how India stores and operates its deadly missile arsenal. Let's take a look at the BrahMos launch process and the fail-safes.
The firing process consists of a series steps, providing multiple checkpoints to prevent accidents. The fail-safes include a series of software locks which need to be authorised at various levels. After this is a physical process in which two manual keys need to be turned. After the key stage, the countdown to launch is initiated, and finally the BrahMos missile is launched.
ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/in-depth/the-hook/indian-missile-accident-exposes-pakistan-s-weakness-chinese-weapons-can-t-stop-brahmos-doom-tech-1661769646041">Indian missile accident exposes Pakistan's weakness? Chinese weapons can't stop BrahMos?</a>
Despite all these safety features, how did the missile misfire occur in March 2022?
Reports suggest that at the time of the incident, a missile unit near Ambala, Haryana was undergoing inspection. This included checking of safety, and operational efficiency. A deviation from standard operating procedure for BrahMos led to the launch of an unarmed missile. A probe found 3 Indian Air Force officers guilty of violating missile SOPs. A Group Captain commanding the missile unit, a Wing Commander, and a Squadron Leader were reportedly found responsible.
Meanwhile, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer took quick action which helped avert a bigger disaster after the missile had been launched.
The incident expectedly caused concern among government officials.
Following the missile misfire, the Indian government reviewed standard operating procedures for missile units. Operations, maintenance, and inspection SOPs were reviewed and updated. Firing and training protocols were also revised for Indian Air Force missile units. Additional safety measures were also implemented.
The government was quick to take action because the BrahMos is a very important weapon, and not just for the country's defence.
The BrahMos is also a major part of India's defence diplomacy. The Philippines is buying 3 BrahMos batteries for $375 mn. Indonesia is also considering buying ship-borne BrahMos missiles. Vietnam is another nation in the region interested in acquiring the cruise missile system. India is also reportedly in talks with Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa for BrahMos export deals.
The BrahMos can also play a vital role in India's pushback against an aggressive China.
One ASEAN member - the Philippines - is already buying the missiles, while two more are interested. This is significant because many ASEAN members have territorial disputes with China. The cause of the tension is Beijing's illegal expansion in the South China Sea via artificial islands. China is trying to militarily bully smaller countries in the region, and if these nations get defence aid from India, it would boost Delhi's currency in the region.
In such a situation, questions about BrahMos' safety and reliability would have been counter-productive for India. But with human error having been found responsible for the missile misfire incident, export of the missiles is unlikely to face hurdles.
Meanwhile, India and Russia's joint venture which makes the BrahMos is already working on making more effective and deadly versions of the weapon.
One of the newer versions is an extended range BrahMos. Its reach has reportedly been increased from 290 km to 350 km. The first successful test-firing of this version was conducted in May 2022. The missile was fired from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI jet, and achieved direct hit.
Another new version is an anti-ship BrahMos - a weapon considered important in light of the Ukraine-Russia war. An anti-ship BrahMos was successfully tested in April 2022 by the Indian Navy and the Andaman &amp; Nicobar Command.
As the Indian government focuses on expanding the domestic defence industry, and boosting exports, the BrahMos can be the centrepiece of India's weapon offerings.

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