Philippine and Chinese Personnel Clash with Batons and Paddles at Ayungin Shoal
Personnel from both sides employed wooden batons, oars and paddles during the encounter. A Philippine Navy serviceman sustained a head injury.
AYUNGIN SHOAL — On July 20 a rigid-hull inflatable boat from China Coast Guard vessel 21560 and two rubber boats launched from the grounded Philippine Navy outpost BRP (Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas) Sierra Madre closed to physical contact in the waters of Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal or Ren’ai Jiao.
Personnel from both sides employed wooden batons, oars and paddles during the encounter. A Philippine Navy serviceman sustained a head injury.
Chinese state media released on-site footage on July 21 depicting the approach and contact from the Chinese vessel’s viewpoint.
Official statements from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the China Coast Guard present mutually contradictory accounts of which side initiated the close approach and the use of force.
The United States Ambassador to the Philippines and the Australian Foreign Minister issued statements the following day.
The events coincided with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meetings in Manila.
