China and Philippines Trade Accusations After Sailor Injured at Sea The recent incident involving a Philippine sailor injured near the Second Thomas Shoal is just the latest in a long string of maritime confrontations between China and its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Beijing's claims to nearly all of the South China Sea are not supported by its actions, which have been marked by aggressive expansionism and disregard for international law.
The Second Thomas Shoal, home to a grounded Philippine warship used as a military outpost, lies within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.