A Chinese navy warship collided with a Chinese coast guard vessel on Monday, August 11, while it was chasing a Philippine patrol boat at high speed in the South China Sea, according to Philippine officials.
The incident occurred near Scarborough Shoal, a disputed area claimed by both nations.
Footage shared by Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela shows a Chinese coast guard ship pursuing the Philippine patrol boat before a Chinese navy vessel suddenly cut across its path. The patrol boat was part of a resupply mission delivering fuel and provisions to Filipino fishermen in the area, under a government initiative to support the country’s fishing industry, according to the Philippine Information Agency.
In the video, the coast guard vessel collides with the navy ship’s port side, bringing both Chinese vessels to a stop as the Philippine boat continues on. Tarriela said the crash happened after the Chinese coast guard attempted a “risky maneuver,” leaving its vessel with “substantial damage.”
The Chinese coast guard, however, blamed the Philippines. Its spokesperson Gan Yu told state news agency Xinhua that Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and ignored repeated warnings. He did not acknowledge a collision but insisted that Chinese actions were “professional and legitimate.”
The clash is the latest in a string of confrontations in the South China Sea, where Chinese ships have rammed Philippine vessels and blasted them with water cannons in recent years. Tarriela said Chinese vessels also deployed water cannons during Monday’s encounter, though Philippine boats managed to avoid them.