The Chinese Coast Guard engaged in a violent clash with members of the Philippine Navy near a strategic reef island in the South China Sea, according to a video released by the Philippine military. The confrontation occurred on Monday during a supply mission for Philippine soldiers stationed on a malfunctioning military vessel at the Second Thomas Shoal, according to Manila.
Newly released images from the encounter show small boats with Chinese fishermen yelling while brandishing knives and a hatchet, striking a rubber boat with sticks. The Philippine military stated that a Chinese fisherman wielding a hatchet "threatened to harm" a Filipino soldier, while others "explicitly threatened to harm" the Philippine forces. A Filipino fisherman lost his thumb during the incident, during which the Chinese coast guard confiscated or destroyed Philippine equipment, including firearms, according to the Philippine military.
These scenes released by Manila contrast with those published by Chinese media on Wednesday, which did not show armed men. Beijing confirmed that the Chinese coast guard took "professional and moderate" measures during the confrontation, explaining that no "direct action" was taken against the Philippines. However, the video released by Manila clearly shows a Chinese fisherman aboard one of the boats waving a hatchet.
Another clip shows one of the Chinese personnel violently striking a rubber boat with a stick, while another man is seen slicing the boat with a knife. Philippine authorities explained that the Chinese coast guard "then started throwing stones and other objects at our soldiers." They added that they "tore up the rubber boats, rendering them unusable."
The Filipino fishermen were unarmed in these footage, appearing in brown military uniforms with helmets and vests. The accompanying text for the video mentioned, "During this violent confrontation, the Chinese coast guard also deployed tear gas, exacerbating the chaos and confusion, with alarms continuously sounding to further disrupt communications." Philippine Army Chief General Romeo Brainer confirmed on Wednesday that the Filipino crew, outnumbered by the Chinese forces, was unarmed and fought "with their hands." In one of the videos, a voice speaking Philippine Tagalog can be heard saying that someone "lost a finger."
