The Armed Forces of the Philippines said eight members of the China Coast Guard approached and struck, with wooden batons, Philippine Navy personnel on a rubber boat at Ayungin Shoal, West Philippine Sea on July 20, 2026. Armed Forces of the Philippines videoThe Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday that a total of 48 Chinese vessels have been monitored in some West Philippine Sea (WPS) features in July. Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."