Manila said Monday it had filed a diplomatic complaint with Beijing after Philippine and Chinese government ships faced off in the disputed South China Sea over the weekend in some of the most tense confrontations in recent months.
The Philippines said it had also summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian for the complaint, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Teresita Daza telling a news conference that Manila should “seriously consider” declaring him persona non grata.
The moves came after the Philippines said its vessels were "directly targeted” on Sunday by a China Coast Guard ship with a water cannon — severely damaging and disabling one boat — during a supply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal. Philippine authorities said another resupply boat was also rammed by a China Coast Guard ship near the shoal, where Manila has troops stationed on a grounded warship 193 kilometers west of the Philippines’ Palawan Island.