The Philippines accused China's coast guard on Monday of violently attacking a member of one of its naval crews and hitting him on the head with a wooden stick during a confrontation in the South China Sea, which the Defense Ministry described as part of a 'clear pattern of provocative and hostile behavior' by China.

The Philippine armed forces said in a statement that a Filipino sailor was injured and a navy rubber boat was damaged in the incident that occurred in the Second Thomas Shoal area, which the Philippines calls Ayungin, according to Reuters.

The armed forces added that a Chinese coast guard rigid-hulled inflatable boat carrying eight personnel approached a disabled warship in that area and took photos and videos.

It went on to say that two Philippine navy boats moved to drive away the Chinese vessel, at which point 'its personnel violently and aggressively responded by hitting Philippine navy personnel with a wooden stick,' and released a 25-second video that it said shows the incident.

One of the eight can be seen in the video hitting a sailor on a rubber boat near the Chinese vessel.

The military said: 'We call on the People's Liberation Army and the Chinese coast guard... to stop the illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive acts within the West Philippine Sea, and to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling that affirms the legitimate maritime rights of the Philippines under international law.'

The Foreign Ministry in Manila said that the 'violence' directed at a navy personnel was 'unacceptable' and called for diplomatic action.

China has previously denied accusations of aggression during confrontations in the South China Sea and accused the Philippines of encroaching on its territorial waters. The Chinese embassy in Manila and the Chinese Defense Ministry have not yet responded to requests for comment.