A YouTube video claimed without basis that a United States Coast Guard ship fired a warning shot at a Chinese Navy warship in the South China Sea.
The 16-minute video, posted on Dec. 15, carried this headline:
“US Coast Guard at Chinese Navy nagkatensyon sa South China Sea | Pinaputukan ng Warning Shot (U.S. Coast Guard and Chinese Navy experienced tension in the South China Sea, warning shot fired).
The vlogger behind the video said the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mellon (WHEC 717) was deployed in the South China Sea and fired a warning shot at a Chinese Navy ship that attempted to approach it. The video showed no proof to support this claim.
There are no reported incidents involving the US Coast Guard and the Chinese Navy in the South China Sea. For one, the alleged deployment of USCGC Mellon is not possible as it was decommissioned on Aug. 20, 2020, after serving for 52 years.
The misleading video emerged after the Philippines conducted joint sea and air patrols with the U.S. military in late November, a move condemned by China.
Posted by YouTube channel PH TV (created on Nov. 2, 2015), the video got a total of over 63,110 views, 205 comments, and 1,776 likes. A reaction video from YouTube channel WANGBUDISS TV (created on Feb. 6, 2017) garnered more than 49,442 views, 118 comments, and 1,093 likes.
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