A ship identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as a Chinese research vessel is seen towing a floating structure in the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on June 15, 2026.
Jam Sta Rosa AFP | getty images
America condemned it, calling it China’s “Dangerous and offensive” A Chinese coast guard official in Manila said the action against Philippine navy personnel in disputed South China Sea waters hit a Filipino sailor repeatedly He was attacked on the head with a wooden stick, injuring him and damaging the naval rubber boat.
US collides with second Thomas Shoal on Monday Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Manila This week for the meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Tensions in the South China Sea are expected to feature prominently in discussions with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also present. Rubio meets Wang ASEAN summit in Malaysia last yearand two Talked on phone after President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing earlier this year.
Rubio’s visit comes days after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of substantial interference in the US elections.
The shoal is one of the most volatile flashpoints in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims almost the entire waterway. A 2016 arbitration award They found that those claims had no basis in international law. This reef is located in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines but has been observed Repeated clashes from 2023Because Chinese ships have used water cannon, lasers and ramming to block Filipino resupply missions.
Washington is tied to Manila by what? mutual defense treaty Signed in 1951, meaning a serious increase in support from the US
“We stand with our ally the Philippines,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement. statement On Monday, it called on Beijing to “immediately cease its destabilizing conduct” and reaffirmed a 2016 arbitral ruling that found China’s expansive South China Sea claims have no basis in international law.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the encounter took place near the BRP Sierra Madre, the shore that the warship Manila moored nearly 30 years ago to stake its claim. The army said a Chinese inflatable boat carrying eight personnel approached the post “Reacted violently and aggressively” When two boats of the Philippine Navy proceeded to drive away the Chinese ship.
Beijing disputes that account China Coast Guard claims Philippine boats launched “illegally” from Sierra Madre, ignored repeated warnings, and rammed her patrol ship, and Filipino personnel attacked Chinese officers with oars and long sticks.
Manila expected the flare-up to complicate the situation within a week Showcase your ASEAN Chairmanship. is wang Schedule to meet with Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro While Rubio is expected to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the annual summit – the first meeting of the two countries’ top diplomats since 2024 – the South China Sea issue will dominate the two talks.