China summoned the Philippine ambassador on Tuesday following a confrontation at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea that drew condemnation from Manila's allies.

China's foreign ministry said it had "urgently summoned" the Philippine ambassador to protest what it called the Philippines' "deliberate provocation and attack" at Ren'ai Reef, Beijing's name for Second Thomas Shoal.

"The Philippine side provoked first, yet it has turned the blame upside down, distorted the facts, and maliciously hyped the issue," the ministry said.

The Philippine military earlier accused the China Coast Guard of striking a Filipino sailor with a baton during an encounter near the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded Philippine Navy vessel at the shoal.

Australia and the United States condemned China's actions, with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong calling Beijing's conduct "destabilising and dangerous," while Washington described it as "dangerous and aggressive."

The developments came as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila for meetings with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where he is expected to meet regional leaders and has said he is open to talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 international arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims. Multiple countries, including the Philippines, have overlapping claims in the strategic waterway.