China summons Philippine envoy after Second Thomas Shoal incident

China said it summoned the Philippine ambassador on Tuesday, July 21, following a confrontation between vessels from the two countries near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea a day earlier, according to a statement from its foreign ministry.

The incident on Monday triggered a fresh exchange of accusations, with both sides blaming each other for the escalation. Manila said one of its navy personnel was struck on the head during the encounter and that one of its rubber boats sustained damage. Beijing, however, said the Philippines had provoked the incident.

"The Philippine side provoked the incident first, yet has turned around and made counter-accusations, distorted the facts and engaged in malicious hype," China’s foreign ministry said, as quoted by Reuters.

The China Coast Guard (CCG) said two rubber boats deployed from the grounded Philippine warship BRP Sierra Madre rammed a Chinese patrol vessel. It also accused Philippine personnel of initiating "malicious attacks" against Chinese law enforcement officers using oars and long sticks.

China’s foreign ministry described the Philippine actions as "egregious in nature."

In a separate statement on Tuesday, the CCG said it had allowed the Philippines to evacuate the injured sailor from the grounded vessel using small shuttle boats, citing humanitarian considerations.

"The CCG inquired and verified the Philippine boats, and monitored the whole process," CCG spokesperson Jiang Lue said, adding that China would continue to carry out "rights-protection and law-enforcement operations" in waters near the Second Thomas Shoal.

The Philippine military rejected Beijing’s account on Tuesday, calling China’s claims "false and misleading" and insisting that its personnel did not initiate any confrontation.

By Tamilla Hasanova