Following the snowballing negative effect of the laser pointing by a Chinese Coast Guard on a Philippine Coast Guard ship during a resupply mission at the Ayungin Shoal at the West Philippine Sea, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian met with Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Andres Centino.

China is quickly making moves to defuse the tension created by the incident, as Huang said both he and Centino had discussed military liaison exchanges and cooperation.

They also both called for “peace and stability” in the region.

“Had a cordial and constructive meeting with CSAFP General Andres C. Centino during my courtesy visit at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City,” he said in his social media account.

“We discussed matters pertaining to mil to mil exchange and cooperation as well as sustaining peace and stability in the region,” he added.

The said meeting came after a CCG vessel, pointed a military-grade laser against a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel that was conducting a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on February 6.

The PCG said that the laser temporarily blinded some of the crew members onboard their ship.

The incident prompted the AFP to call on the Chinese government to control its forces.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had summoned Huang to Malacañang to express his serious concern over the increasing frequency and intensity of China’s actions against PCG personnel and Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.

On Tuesday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs filed a diplomatic protest against China over the incident.

Defending CCG’s action, Beijing accused the PCG vessel of intruding into the waters off Ren’ai Reef, which is what it calls Ayungin Shoal, “without Chinese permission.”

CurrentPH News Service