MANILA: China and the Philippines on Monday traded accusations after an encounter between vessels in contested South China Sea waters, with Manila saying one of its navy personnel was struck on the head and Beijing saying Manila provoked the incident. The Philippines said Chinese Coast Guard personnel aggressively struck one of its navy staff on the head with a wooden baton during an encounter in the Second Thomas Shoal on Monday in which a navy rubber boat was damaged. Southeast Asian foreign ministers will gather in Manila for high-level meetings this week, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also in attendance. Tensions in the South China Sea are expected to feature in the discussions. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said a Chinese Coast Guard rigid-hull inflatable boat with eight personnel approached to within close range of its grounded warship on the Second Thomas Shoal and took photos and videos.
When two Philippine navy boats moved to drive the Chinese vessel away, its personnel "reacted violently and aggressively by striking Philippine navy personnel with a wooden baton."
