Philippine and Chinese personnel have exchanged physical blows during a confrontation near a contested shoal in the South China Sea, with the two sides again accusing the other of instigating the incident.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated yesterday that a Philippine Navy marine sustained a head injury after being struck with a baton by China Coast Guard (CCG) personnel during an encounter at Second Thomas Shoal.
In its statement, the AFP said a CCG rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) carrying eight personnel from vessel CCGV 21560 unlawfully approached within close range of the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded Philippine warship that serves as the Philippines’ outpost on the shoal.
The CCG boat reportedly circled the area while taking photos and videos, prompting two Philippine Navy rubber to “calmly and non-confrontationally” drive it away.
The Chinese personnel then “reacted violently and aggressively” by striking a Philippine marine on the head with a wooden baton, the AFP stated. The injured marine was then taken back to the BRP Sierra Madre to receive treatment. The incident also damaged one of the Navy’s rubber boats.
