BEIJING — China’s government called in the Philippine ambassador on Tuesday, demanding a formal explanation following a confrontation the day before between the two countries’ vessels in the disputed South China Sea.
The incident took place Monday near Second Thomas Shoal, where ships from both nations came into conflict in waters that each country claims. The Philippines accused Chinese forces of striking one of its navy personnel in the head during the encounter, while China countered that the Philippines was responsible for provoking the situation.
In a separate development Tuesday, China’s Coast Guard announced that it had allowed Philippine personnel to transport the injured sailor off a grounded Philippine warship using small shuttle boats, citing humanitarian reasons for the decision.
The Philippine embassy had not issued a response to media requests for comment at the time of reporting.
