Chinese Coast Guard strikes Filipino sailor with baton at Second Thomas Shoal

On July 20 2026, Chinese Coast Guard personnel aboard a rigid‑hull inflatable boat approached the Philippine Navy’s outpost at Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin) in the South China Sea. When two Filipino rubber boats moved to drive the Chinese vessel away, the Chinese crew struck a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton, injuring him and damaging the rubber boat. The Philippine military released video of the encounter and condemned the act as “violent and aggressive,” calling it a breach of the 2016 arbitral award that affirms the Philippines’ lawful rights.

Manila demanded that China cease “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions” and lodged a diplomatic protest. China denied the accusations, saying the Philippine boats ignored repeated warnings, provoked the incident, and acted illegally. Both sides issued conflicting video footage, with the Philippines accusing China of editing the material. The clash occurred ahead of an ASEAN foreign‑ministers meeting in Manila, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, raising regional security concerns.

The Philippine Coast Guard later evacuated two injured personnel from the shoal, confirming the sailor’s head wound and another crew member’s finger injury. The incident adds to a pattern of confrontations in the contested waters, heightening tensions between China and the Philippines.