Philippines lodges protest with China after Ayungin Shoal clash

The Philippines lodged a strong protest with China after an incident between personnel from the two countries near Ayungin Shoal in the South China Sea. Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro delivered the objection directly to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting. Manila accused China Coast Guard personnel of beating a Philippine Navy member with wooden batons and causing injuries in the 20 July incident. Beijing denied the allegation and instead accused a Philippine vessel of deliberately ramming a Chinese patrol boat, while its personnel attacked officers with oars and long poles. The exchange of protests showed recurring maritime tensions rising again to the diplomatic level.