Collision Unfolds During Aid Escort Mission
A Chinese navy warship collided with a Chinese coast guard vessel while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, Manila said on Monday. The incident occurred as the Philippine coast guard was escorting boats delivering aid to local fishermen, according to spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela.
Video footage released by Manila shows the China Coast Guard vessel CCG 3104 and a larger PLA Navy warship, bearing the number 164, making contact with a loud crash. Tarriela said the Chinese coast guard vessel, while pursuing the BRP Suluan at high speed, executed a risky maneuver from the patrol boat’s starboard quarter, striking the navy ship. The impact caused substantial damage to the coast guard vessel’s forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy.
Escalating Tensions in Disputed Waters
Chinese coast guard spokesperson Gan Yu confirmed a confrontation had occurred on Monday but did not mention the collision. He stated that “necessary measures” were taken in line with Chinese law, including monitoring, blocking, and pressuring Philippine vessels to force them away.
The incident marks the latest in a series of maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, through which more than 60% of global maritime trade passes. Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that rejected its claims.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos vowed his country’s patrol vessels would continue to operate in the area to defend and exercise Manila’s sovereign rights. The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks, has been a source of dispute since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.
No injuries were reported, though Tarriela said the Chinese crew did not respond to offers of assistance from the BRP Suluan. Earlier in the encounter, the Philippine patrol boat was targeted with a water cannon but managed to evade it.
