According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, on July 21, 2026, the person in charge of the Border and Maritime Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Filipino ambassador to China urgently to express strong protest over the deliberate provocations by the Philippines at Renai Reef and the attacks against Chinese coast guard officers.
China stated that Ren'ai Reef is part of the Chinese Nansha Islands and constitutes Chinese territory. It is lawful and reasonable for Chinese coast guards to carry out law enforcement activities in the waters near Ren'ai Reef. The Philippines illegally positioned its warships near Ren'ai Reef and deployed two rubber boats to approach and collide with Chinese coast guard vessels in a dangerous manner. Filipino personnel maliciously harassed and attacked Chinese law enforcement officers, endangering the safety of Chinese personnel. The behavior of the Philippines is despicable. The Philippines initiated the provocation first, but now they are trying to distort the facts and engage in malicious propaganda.
The Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied and protests severely. The Chinese side demands that the Filipino side immediately cease any provocative actions and stop spreading inflammatory rhetoric. The Chinese side will take measures to firmly defend its own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
