Chinese Coast Guard Beats Filipino Sailor at Second Thomas Shoal, Injuring 1
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 15
Chinese Coast Guard Beats Filipino Sailor at Second Thomas Shoal, Injuring 1
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 15
Summary
A Chinese Coast Guard team used small boats to attack Filipino service members at Second Thomas Shoal, with one sailor beaten by a wooden baton and suffering head injuries.
The clash followed a monthlong Chinese effort to circle the Sierra Madre, the grounded World War II-era ship Manila uses to rotate troops and assert control over the reef.
Philippine and U.S. officials described it as the worst confrontation in years at the flashpoint, while China accused the Philippines of provoking the encounter.
The U.S. ambassador said Washington stood with its oldest Southeast Asian treaty ally, but the episode has sharpened regional doubts about how far the United States would go as the Iran war drains attention and resources.