China on Tuesday released video footage of a maritime confrontation with Philippine personnel near the disputed Ren'ai Jiao reef in the South China Sea, accusing Filipino forces of deliberately ramming a China Coast Guard (CCG) patrol vessel and attacking Chinese officers during the latest flashpoint between the two sides.
The footage, published by state-run China Daily, shows personnel aboard two rigid inflatable boats approaching a Chinese patrol vessel near Ren'ai Jiao, also known as Second Thomas Shoal or Ayungin Shoal, one of the region's most heavily contested maritime features.
Competing accounts of confrontation
China and the Philippines on Monday traded accusations after an encounter between vessels in contested South China Sea waters, with Manila saying one of its navy personnel was struck on the head and Beijing saying Manila provoked the incident.
The footage was released a day after the same incident.
According to the China Coast Guard, the Philippine boats ignored repeated warnings, approached at high speed, attempted to surround and ram the Chinese vessel, and struck coast guard officers with paddles and long poles.
The CCG said its personnel responded with verbal warnings, defensive maneuvering and "corresponding countermeasures" while exercising "maximum restraint" and acting in accordance with Chinese law.
Beijing also accused Manila of "distorting facts" and urged the Philippines to halt what it described as provocative actions in waters claimed by China.
Disputed reef remains regional flashpoint
Second Thomas Shoal has become one of the most volatile hotspots in the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have repeatedly clashed over competing territorial claims.
The latest confrontation comes amid heightened tensions in the strategic waterway, where overlapping sovereignty claims have fueled frequent standoffs involving coast guard and naval vessels.
