China has summoned the Philippine ambassador in Beijing following a confrontation between Chinese and Philippine vessels near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

The diplomatic action came one day after personnel from the two countries clashed in waters claimed by both Beijing and Manila.

The Philippines accused Chinese personnel of acting aggressively, saying a member of its navy was struck on the head with a wooden baton and that a Philippine rubber boat was damaged during the confrontation.

China presented a different account, accusing Philippine boats of deliberately colliding with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. Beijing also alleged that Philippine personnel used oars and sticks against Chinese officers.

The Philippine military rejected China’s version of events as false and insisted that its forces had not initiated the confrontation.

China’s Coast Guard later said it allowed the evacuation of an injured Philippine serviceman from the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded military vessel used by Manila to maintain its presence at the shoal.

Second Thomas Shoal has become one of the most dangerous points in the South China Sea dispute. China claims sovereignty over most of the strategic waterway, while the Philippines relies on a 2016 international arbitration ruling that rejected the legal basis for Beijing’s expansive maritime claims.

The latest incident risks further straining relations between the countries and increasing pressure on Manila’s defence alliance with the United States.