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China Coast Guardsman Hits Philippine Sailor in the Head in Latest Clash

Courtesy CCG
Courtesy China Coast Guard

Published Jul 20, 2026 3:07 PM by The Maritime Executive

A standoff between Philippine and Chinese forces at the Philippine Navy's Second Thomas Shoal outpost ended in injury for one Filipino servicemember, reports the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is the second time that a violent clash has ended in bodily harm at the site, following a serious armed standoff in 2024.

At about 0915 hours on Monday morning, China Coast Guard cutter 21560 approached the outpost - BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded WWII LST located inside of the Philippine EEZ - and launched a small patrol craft. The Philippine personnel aboard the outpost responded by launching RIB boats to drive away the Chinese servicemembers. In response, according to the AFP, the China Coast Guard personnel attempted to hit the Philippine responders with a baton and rammed a Philippine RIB. 

Both sides engaged in a limited exchange of blows with oars and poles. One Philippine sailor sustained a head injury in the melee. The AFP is still evaluating whether he will need to be medevaced. 

During the last serious clash in 2024, a Philippine special forces soldier lost his thumb when a Chinese launch rammed his RIB boat. He was treated and was awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kampilan - a presidential recognition for "invaluable or extraordinary service." 

The new clash breaks a period of relative peace, but standoffs have occurred intermittently at the shoal for years, with frequent potential for serious - or even deadly - interactions. In one incident in 2025, the CCG dispatched small patrol craft with mounted and visible machine guns to the area, a clear escalation. 

"These latest aggressive actions and assaults by the CCGV [21560] demonstrate a blatant disregard for safety," the AFP said in a statement. "No act of coercion or aggression will deter us from carrying out our constitutional mandate or excercising the Philippines' lawful rights in the [western Philippine EEZ]."

For its part, the China Coast Guard claimed that Philippine forces initiated the clash. "Philippine personnel first used paddles, wooden poles and other implements to aggressively attack Chinese law enforcement officers," the agency asserted, claiming that its personnel exercised restraint.