A YouTube video claims that the United States (U.S.) bombed three Chinese vessels and 15 fishing boats in the West Philippine Sea. This is false.
Published on Feb. 7, the video carried an erroneous title that reads:
“TENSION RISES! US DESTROYS THREE CHINESE PLA NAVY SHIPS AND 15 FISHING BOATS IN WEST PHILIPPINE SEA”
The first few seconds of the 8-minute clip shows a bomber aircraft supposedly dropping missiles over Chinese warships. Packaged like a news report, it included a narration saying:
“IN A STUNNING TURN OF EVENTS, THE US-B1 BOMBERS HAVE LAUNCHED A DEVASTATING STRIKE DESTROYING THREE CHINESE PLA NAVY WARSHIPS AND 15 FISHING BOATS IN THE CONTESTED WATERS OF THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA”
A reverse image search reveals that the video is a compilation of old and unrelated footage from different sources.
The main clip used was taken on Aug. 31, 2017, when the U.S. fighter jets conducted a show of force with Japan and South Korea following a North Korean missile test. The missile launch occurred at a bombing range in South Korea, not in the West Philippine Sea.
Another footage, taken on May 16, 2016, shows authorities in Indonesia blowing up the “Viking,” a notorious illegal poaching vessel in Indonesia. It is not a Chinese warship, as claimed by the YouTube user.
Meanwhile, the third video depicts a photo of two Papua New Guinean-flagged ships that were sunk for illegal fishing in the waters of Ambon Bay, Indonesia on Dec. 22, 2014.
The false video appeared two days after the U.S. and the Philippines conducted a military exercise over the West Philippine Sea on Feb. 5, using a U.S. B-1 bomber and three Philippine FA-50PH fighter jets.
As of writing, the video posted by Global Security Report, a YouTube channel created on June 9, 2022, has garnered 126,000 views, 1,800 likes, and 78 comments.
