THIS is the shocking moment a Chinese warship fired a "military-grade laser" at a coast guard ship from the Philippines that left its crew blinded.
The belligerent act happened near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea as the Sino-forces continue to bully their way into the region.
The South China Sea is one of the most contested bodies of water in the world and is estimated to have 11 billion barrels of untapped oil beneath its sea floor.
The resource-rich water way has seen many hostilities play out but the latest incident has been labelled "highly aggressive" by Philippine authorities.
In the early hours of Monday, February 13, the Chinese ship came within 449 feet of the Philippine crew to block the patrol vessel from approaching the shoal.
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Marooned near the shoal was the BRP Sierra Madre ship, in which the coast guard was transporting sailors and food to.
However, photos reveal the moment the Chinese ship cuts across its path from a distance.
An illuminated "laser beam" light is then seen hitting the bridge of the ship directly.
According to a coastguard spokesman, the light caused temporary blindness to the crew onboard.
Commodore Armand Balilo, a Philippine coastguard member, told Associated Press it was the first harmful incident he has witnessed.
Balilo said: "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.
"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."
The Philippine military also slammed China for its actions.
Colonel Medel Aguilar told local media, it was offensive and unsafe.
He said: "It is time for China to restrain its forces from committing any provocative act that will endanger the lives of people."
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The Philippine vessel was forced to move away from the area.
It has not been confirmed if the food and sailors made it to the naval sentry ship.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the coast guard vessel trespassed into Chinese waters without permission.
He said: "As a result, the Chinese coast guard vessels responded professionally and with restraint at the site in accordance with Chinas law and international law.
"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.
"China and the Philippines are maintaining communication through diplomatic channels in this regard."
According to AP, it is not the first time the Chinese coast guard has blocked Philippine ships from escorting supply vessels to the Second Thomas Shoal.
In August, 2022, two Chinese ships that were joined by two Chinese civilian vessels removed the cover of its 70mm armament and aimed it towards a Philippine crew.
The Government of the Philippines has called it a blatant violation of Manilas sovereign rights.
Philippine forces have occupied the submerged reef since February 6 as it protects its claim to the disputed waters.
In 2022 alone, the Southeast Asian country filed almost 200 diplomatic protests against Chinas aggressive actions in the sea.
China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety.
Under Beijing's arbitrary "Nine Dash Line", which extends about 1242 miles from its mainland, it has laid claim to 90 per cent of the sea as sovereign territory.
This is despite an international court of arbitration rejecting its ambitious claims in 2016.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines are among the other nations asserting territorial claims over the sea based on UN conventions.
However, tensions have risen in the Western Pacific Ocean as the Philippines and the US bolster its alliance.
The United States lays no claims to the disputed sea but has deployed forces to patrol the waters.
America's presence in the sea has angered Beijing, which has warned Washington to stop meddling in what it says is a "purely Asian dispute".
In the face of those claims, the US Navy and Marine Corps held joint exercises in the South China Sea after it shot down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.
China is believed to have an extensive military balloon programme that recently sent more than a dozen surveillance balloons over Taiwan.
