The Philippines said on Friday that a Chinese navy ship directed its fire control radar at one of its ships in the disputed South China Sea this month, striking the “provocative” measure.
Specialized radar provides precise targeting coordinates for a ship’s weapon systems.
Chinese and Philippine ships regularly collide in the important waterway, which Beijing claims almost entirely, despite an international ruling that its claim has no legal basis.
The latest alleged incident occurred on March 7 near the Sabina Shoal flashpoint, a fish-rich area about 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan, the Philippine Navy said in a statement.
BRP Miguel Malvar was patrolling the area when “a PLA Navy vessel, bow number 622 … approached and later directed its fire control radar towards the Philippine Navy vessel,” the Philippine Navy said on Friday.
“This was an alarming and provocative action that created unnecessary danger and could have led to misinterpretation and misunderstanding at sea,” the statement added.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The two countries traded statements earlier this month claiming sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground for Filipino fishermen that is now controlled by China.
In October, Manila accused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming one of its government vessels after initially deploying water cannons on the South China Sea’s disputed chain of Spratly Islands.
