Chinese and Philippine Militaries Clash in South China Sea, One Injured

The Philippine military has accused the Chinese Coast Guard of attacking one of its personnel with a wooden stick in the disputed South China Sea, leaving the soldier injured. The incident occurred on Monday near the Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint in the Spratly Islands where a rusting World War II-era Philippine navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, has been deliberately grounded to serve as a garrison post.

According to a statement from the Philippine military, a Chinese rigid-hull inflatable boat carrying eight people was circling the BRP Sierra Madre and taking photographs. When two Philippine rubber boats were deployed to drive the vessel away, the Chinese sailors allegedly reacted aggressively, striking a Filipino military member with a wooden stick and causing injury.

The clash follows a diplomatic protest lodged by Manila last week against a video published by Chinese state media. The Philippines condemned the one-minute AI-generated video, which depicted a cartoon monkey, as racist. In response, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson declined to comment, stating the video did not reflect an official position.