Collision between Chinese Naval Vessel and Coast Guard Ship Occurs During Pursuit of Philippine Boat in South China Sea

A Chinese warship crashed into one of its own coast guard vessels while it was pursuing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea on Monday, according to Manila, which released footage of the dramatic incident. The collision took place near Scarborough Shoal while the Philippine Coast Guard was escorting ships delivering aid to fishermen in the region, as stated by coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela. The footage revealed a loud crash as a China Coast Guard ship and a larger vessel identified by the number 164 on its hull collided with the Philippine vessel. Subsequent videos and photos showed the damaged Chinese vessel still afloat but with its bow entirely crumpled inward. Tarriela detailed that the China Coast Guard vessel CCG 3104, which was chasing the BRP Suluan at high speed, executed a risky maneuver, leading to the impact with a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warship. This maneuver caused significant damage to the CCG vessel’s forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy. In the confrontation, the BRP Suluan successfully evaded being targeted with a water cannon by the Chinese. Despite being offered assistance by the Philippine ship, the Chinese crew did not respond. A spokesperson for the Chinese coast guard confirmed the confrontation, stating that necessary measures were taken to monitor, press from outside, block, and control Philippine vessels to drive them away. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, neither confirmed nor denied the collision. This incident marks another confrontation in a series between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, a critical waterway for global maritime trade, which China claims almost entirely despite an international ruling invalidating such claims. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos stated that patrol vessels would continue to assert the country’s sovereign rights over the Scarborough Shoal and the surrounding territory, a point of contention since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/12/chinese-ships-crash-warship-coast-guard-south-china-sea