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Chinese Coast Guard personnel aboard a high-speed craft chase Philippine Navy personnel on a rubber boat near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on July 20 (local time), in a still frame from a video released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. / Courtesy of AP and Yonhap News

A Philippine Navy sailor suffered a head injury and a navy rubber boat was damaged after a clash with the Chinese Coast Guard in the South China Sea, sparking a sharp dispute as both sides blamed each other for initiating the attack.

According to Reuters on July 21 (local time), the Armed Forces of the Philippines stated that the previous day, a Chinese Coast Guard high-speed craft carrying eight personnel approached an intentionally grounded Philippine warship at Second Thomas Shoal to take photos and videos.

When two Philippine Navy boats moved to intercept them, Chinese Coast Guard personnel reacted "violently and aggressively," striking a Filipino sailor with a wooden pole, according to the Philippine military. A 25-second video released by the Philippine military captured a Chinese officer hitting a Filipino sailor inside an adjacent rubber boat on the head.

In a statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines urged the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Coast Guard, and maritime militia to cease "illegal, coercive, and aggressive actions" in the South China Sea and to abide by the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that recognized the Philippines' maritime rights. The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs also declared the acts of violence against its sailor "unacceptable" and pledged to pursue diplomatic action.

The Chinese Coast Guard countered that the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings, dangerously approached and collided with a Chinese patrol boat, and that Philippine personnel "struck Chinese law enforcement officers first with oars and wooden poles."

Beijing claimed its forces took "proportionate measures" following warnings and tactical maneuvers, exercising maximum restraint. It further demanded an "immediate halt to infringements, provocations, and false propaganda," asserting that the Philippines was distorting the facts. A 49-second video released by China's state-run Global Times showed Chinese Coast Guard personnel shouting "Leave immediately!" as both sides confronted each other holding oars and wooden poles.

Amid the renewed clash in the South China Sea between the Philippines and China, the U.S. Department of State condemned China's actions at Second Thomas Shoal as "dangerous and aggressive." In a statement, a State Department spokesperson noted, "China's troubling pattern of provocations against lawful Philippine maritime operations undermines regional peace and stability and directly contradicts Beijing's repeated commitments to the peaceful resolution of disputes."

This latest collision comes as ASEAN Foreign Ministers gather in Manila this week. With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi scheduled to attend, tensions in the South China Sea are expected to emerge as a primary agenda item.

Second Thomas Shoal lies within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), approximately 1,300 kilometers from mainland China. The Philippines deliberately grounded an aging warship there to serve as a territorial outpost, leading to repeated standoffs with China over resupply missions to stationed troops.

A similar physical confrontation occurred in the same waters in June 2024, resulting in a Filipino sailor losing a thumb. That incident eventually led to a provisional agreement between the two nations allowing resupply missions to the grounded vessel.

                                                                                                              Jeong Ri-na