Key facts
- Philippines and China traded accusations over a medical evacuation near the Second Thomas Shoal.
- Manila reported a near-doubling of Chinese military and coastguard vessels in the South China Sea in September.
- The Philippines accused Chinese personnel of striking a Filipino navy staffer on the head with a wooden baton.
- China's Coast Guard accused Philippine personnel of initiating malicious attacks with oars and sticks.
- The Philippines grounded the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, which serves as a military outpost.
- The Second Thomas Shoal is within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone but claimed by China.
The Philippines and China have traded accusations over a recent medical evacuation near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Manila reported a near-doubling of Chinese military and coastguard vessels in contested areas during September.
The latest exchange focused on the evacuation of an injured Filipino serviceman from the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine naval vessel grounded at the shoal decades ago. Video posted online by the Philippines Coast Guard showed Filipino and Chinese personnel briefly engaging each other from inflatable boats.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated that a China Coast Guard inflatable boat unlawfully approached one of its outposts, circling and taking photos. The AFP claimed that Chinese Coast Guard personnel reacted violently, striking a Philippine Navy personnel on the head with a wooden baton, causing injury. "These latest aggressive actions and assault by the CCGV demonstrate a blatant disregard for safety, endanger the lives of our personnel and escalates tensions," the AFP said.
However, China's Coast Guard (CCG) offered a different account, accusing the Philippines of "deliberately distorting facts" and making "false accusations." The CCG stated that two Philippine rubber boats "rapidly approached, encircled, and rammed into the Chinese patrol boat in a dangerous manner." It further alleged that Philippine personnel initiated "malicious attacks" using oars, long sticks, and other tools. Beijing said it summoned the Philippine ambassador to China to lodge a solemn representation over the encounter.
Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela from the Philippines Coast Guard posted a photo on social media showing a bleeding gash on the head of a Filipino navy personnel. The Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ren'ai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines, sits within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). China claims the shoal as part of its expansive "nine-dash line" claim, despite a 2016 ruling by a tribunal at The Hague that found little basis for this claim under international maritime law. The Philippines grounded the BRP Sierra Madre at the shoal in 1999 to serve as a military outpost.
The United States State Department condemned China's actions, calling on Beijing to "immediately cease its destabilising conduct." The department stated that China's "troubling pattern of provocation" undermines regional peace and stability.