The ASEAN foreign ministers’ gathering in Manila this week has been overshadowed by a violent altercation at the Second Thomas Shoal on 20 July, in which a Philippine navy sailor was struck on the head during a confrontation with China Coast Guard vessels. The incident prompted both Manila and Beijing to summon each other’s ambassadors and led to a tense bilateral meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Philippine counterpart Maria Theresa Lazaro on 22 July. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, attending the ASEAN-led talks, described the encounter as “destabilising and risky” and warned that “the countries of the region have a choice to make about how we all respond to that.”

According to Philippine foreign ministry readouts, Lazaro lodged a “strong protest” over what she called “unacceptable actions against Filipino personnel,” while Wang, in a Chinese foreign ministry account, protested “the Philippine personnel’s egregious act of ramming Chinese law-enforcement vessels.” Wang told Lazaro that bilateral relations stood at a “crossroads” and that Manila needed to make a “correct and rational” choice, accusing certain Philippine military and police forces of carrying out “the orders of external forces.” The Philippine side, however, characterised the talks as “candid, comprehensive and constructive,” underscoring the need to reduce the risk of miscalculation and sustain dialogue. China’s foreign ministry separately stated that Australia had no right to intervene in the South China Sea issue and urged “relevant countries to stop stirring up tension and inciting confrontation.”

The diplomatic row was compounded by Australia’s protest over a Chinese submarine-launched ballistic missile test earlier in July, which Canberra described as “provocative and destabilising” and raised directly with Wang in a bilateral meeting. Wong announced a donation of drone technology and training worth 413 million pesos (US$6.7 million) to the Philippine Coast Guard, a move viewed from Manila as a concrete signal of security cooperation. On the sidelines, foreign ministers of the Quad — Japan, the United States, Australia and India — issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to ASEAN’s long-term success and pledging expanded cooperation in maritime security, critical technologies and humanitarian assistance. The Quad statement, while not naming China, was widely interpreted in regional capitals as a counterweight to Beijing’s growing influence.

ASEAN itself sought to project unity and a focus on development. Chinese state media highlighted Wang’s remarks to the ASEAN-China meeting, where he stressed that bilateral trade had surpassed US$1 trillion in 2025 and that Beijing had launched an ASEAN visa to boost connectivity. Indonesian reporting noted that Wang called for China and ASEAN to serve as an “anchor of peace and development.” The Philippine foreign ministry, as ASEAN chair this year, said both sides had reaffirmed their commitment to a “practical, forward-looking and mutually beneficial” comprehensive strategic partnership. With the ministerial meetings continuing, Wong is expected to deliver a formal address on Thursday warning against the weaponisation of strategic sea lanes, while Quad leaders are accelerating preparations for a first summit before year’s end.