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.

    • @[email protected]English
      4•6 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”.