When Chinese forces violently intercepted Philippine naval ships last week in a disputed area of the South China Sea, they didn’t use handguns or rifles, let alone the more high-tech weaponry now widely seen in modern conflicts.

Instead, videos shared by the Philippine military showed the Chinese Coast Guard officers wielding pickaxes and knives as they made their bid to exert control over the area. Experts say that the use of these simple weapons was a tactical choice.

Washington Post