Chinese personnel armed with swords are accused of ramming Filipino boats in disputed waters.

Philippines soldiers used their “bare hands” to fight off Chinese coast guard personnel armed with swords, spears and knives in the disputed South China Sea, the country’s top military commander has said.

General Romeo Brawner accused Chinese vessels of ramming Philippine boats, then boarding them and seizing weapons.

One Filipino soldier lost a thumb when his vessel was rammed, the general said. China denied its personnel were to blame, saying they had been “restrained”.

There have been a string of dangerous encounters as the two sides seek to enforce their claims on disputed reefs and outcrops - this appears to be an escalation.

    • gravitas_deficiencyEnglish
      51·
      5 months ago

      I thought the same thing, regarding the weird “totally not a border conflict” they’re having with India up in the Himalayas.

      But this is different. This isn’t a “disputed border” - this is China trying to make their idiotic “nine-dash line” the de facto rule of the sea, which it is very much not. Zero countries outside of the PRC itself accept their claims as legitimate and enforceable in the modern context. China is, of course, trying to enforce it anyways, but using their coastguard and without using firearms so it’s “not a conflict”.

  • KevonLooney@lemm.eeEnglish
    211·
    5 months ago

    Does China realize that they don’t look tough by doing this? Do you see American Marines beating up Mexican Coast Guard members? No. Because that’s what an insecure country does.

    What is China doing about Israel and Palestine? Nothing, because the current Chinese government only cares about advancing Chinese interests. They are transactional.

  • alchemist2023@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    5 months ago

    time someone sunk these Chinese ‘coastguard’ fucks time all countries bordering the south China sea create a floatilla of their own and round up three rouge fishing boats and sink then all game over China

  • naturalgasbad@lemmy.caEnglish
    3·
    5 months ago

    Didn’t China seize firearms from the Filipinos? Talk about bringing knives to a gunfight…