MANILA — The Philippine military is accusing Chinese coast guard personnel of aggressively hitting one of its navy sailors in the head with a wooden baton during a confrontation in the South China Sea. The country’s defense ministry described the Monday incident as part of what it called a “clear pattern of provocative and hostile behaviour” by China.
According to a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, one Filipino sailor was hurt and a navy rubber boat was damaged during the encounter at Second Thomas Shoal, which the Philippines refers to as Ayungin.
The armed forces said a Chinese Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boat carrying eight personnel came in close to the Philippines’ grounded warship at the shoal and began taking photos and videos. When two Philippine navy vessels moved in to push the Chinese boat away, the situation turned violent.
The Chinese personnel “reacted violently and aggressively by striking Philippine navy personnel with a wooden baton,” the Philippine armed forces said. The military also released a 25-second video clip of the confrontation, in which one of the eight Chinese personnel can be seen hitting a crew member aboard a nearby rubber boat.
The Philippine military issued a direct call to action: “We call on the People’s Liberation Army and the China Coast Guard, including their maritime militia, to put a stop to their illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions within the West Philippine Sea and adhere to the 2016 Arbitral Award that affirms the Philippines’ lawful maritime rights under international law.”
The incident comes as Southeast Asian ministers are gathered in Manila this week for high-level diplomatic meetings, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also present. Tensions in the South China Sea are expected to be a topic of discussion.
The Philippine foreign ministry condemned the attack on its navy personnel as an “act of violence” that is “unacceptable” and said it warrants a diplomatic response.
Second Thomas Shoal sits within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and is approximately 1,300 kilometers — about 808 miles — from the Chinese mainland. China refers to the location as the Renai Reef.
This is not the first time tensions at the site have turned physical. A June 2024 incident also became violent, resulting in a Filipino sailor losing a finger. That confrontation eventually led to a provisional agreement with China allowing resupply missions to reach the grounded Philippine vessel. The Philippines has long accused China of interfering with those resupply operations.
China has consistently denied acting aggressively during South China Sea encounters and has accused the Philippines of unlawfully entering what it considers its own waters. Neither the Chinese embassy in Manila nor China’s defense ministry responded to requests for comment following Monday’s incident.
