The United States on Monday condemned what it called China's "dangerous and aggressive" actions after Chinese personnel allegedly injured a Filipino sailor during a confrontation with the Philippine Navy at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.

"The United States condemns China's dangerous and aggressive actions against Philippine navy personnel at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on July 20, 2026, and calls on China to immediately cease its destabilizing conduct," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Pigott said China's "troubling pattern of provocation against lawful Philippine maritime operations" undermines regional peace and stability and contradicts Beijing's repeated commitments to resolve disputes peacefully.

The statement came as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday to attend meetings of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Before departing, Rubio said he was open to holding a sideline meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

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 serving as an outpost at Second Thomas Shoal.

According to the Philippines, a Chinese boat carrying eight men circled the BRP Sierra Madre and took photographs of the vessel. The confrontation occurred after the Philippine Navy dispatched two rubber boats to drive the Chinese group away.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 international arbitral ruling that found its sweeping claims have no legal basis. Beijing and Manila have repeatedly confronted each other in the contested waters.