Naval crews beat each other with oars as Philippine and Chinese vessels clash over disputed territory

Naval crews from China and the Philippines appeared to beat each other with oars in a clash over a disputed territory, leaving one Filipino sailor injured.

Footage from Monday (20 July) shows several boats passing by one another in the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef that is claimed by both Beijing and Manila.

Philippine officials said one of its navy personnel was struck on the head by a wooden baton; however, Beijing said Manila provoked the incident by ramming one of its patrol vehicles.

The Second Thomas Shoal, where a grounded Philippine navy ship has served as a territorial outpost since 1999, is within the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. It is about 1,300km from mainland China, which refers to it as the Renai Reef.