Philippines and China exchange protests after Second Thomas Shoal clash

On July 22, foreign ministers of the Philippines (Maria Theresa Lazaro) and China (Wang Yi) met in Manila during the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting and exchanged strong protests over a recent naval incident at Second Thomas Shoal (also known as Ayungin or Ren’ai) in the disputed South China Sea.

The Philippines says a Chinese Coast Guard vessel struck a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton and accuses Beijing of ramming its patrol boat. China alleges the Filipino personnel rammed the Chinese law‑enforcement vessel first and calls Manila’s actions “egregious”. Both sides lodged formal diplomatic protests.

The ministers pledged to keep communication channels open, manage tensions and seek practical ways forward, while the broader dispute remains tied to China’s extensive claims, the 2016 arbitral ruling against those claims, and ongoing negotiations for a Code of Conduct under ASEAN.