MANILA, July 20 (Reuters) – The Philippines has accused Chinese coast guard members of violently attacking one of its navy staff with a wooden baton during an incident in the South China Sea. The country’s defense ministry claims this behavior is part of a “clear pattern of provocative and hostile actions” by China.
A Philippine sailor was injured, and a navy rubber boat was damaged in the incident at Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ayungin in the Philippines, according to a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The AFP reported that a Chinese Coast Guard inflatable boat, carrying eight personnel, approached closely to one of its grounded warships at Second Thomas Shoal and began taking photos and videos.
When two Philippine navy boats attempted to drive the Chinese vessel away, the Chinese personnel “reacted violently and aggressively by striking Philippine navy personnel with a wooden baton,” the AFP stated, along with releasing a 25-second video clip of the encounter.
In the video, one of the eight Chinese personnel can be seen hitting a navy crew member in a rubber boat that was near the Chinese vessel.
The military called on the People's Liberation Army and the China Coast Guard, including their maritime militia, to stop their “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions” in the West Philippine Sea and to respect the 2016 Arbitral Award that confirms the Philippines’ maritime rights under international law.
This week, Southeast Asian ministers are meeting in Manila for high-level discussions, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also attending. Tensions in the South China Sea are expected to be on the agenda.
Manila’s foreign ministry stated that the “act of violence” against its navy personnel was “unacceptable” and calls for diplomatic action.
Second Thomas Shoal lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and is located about 1,300 km (808 miles) from mainland China, which refers to the area as Renai Reef.
The Philippines has accused China of interfering with supply missions for troops stationed on the grounded vessel. A previously reported incident in June 2024 also became violent and resulted in a Filipino sailor losing a finger.
That confrontation led to a provisional agreement with China to allow resupply missions to the grounded ship.
China has denied any accusations of aggressive actions during encounters in the South China Sea and claims that the Philippines is intruding into its waters.
The Chinese embassy in Manila and China’s defense ministry did not respond immediately to requests for comments.