Two Chinese government ships collided while pursuing a Philippine Coast Guard patrol near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on 11 August, according to video released by Manila.
The incident, filmed from Philippine vessels escorting fishermen, shows a Chinese coastguard cutter striking a larger Chinese navy warship during high-speed manoeuvres. China acknowledged a confrontation but did not confirm a collision.
Footage published by the Philippine Coast Guard depicts cutter CCG 3104 pressing close behind the patrol ship BRP Suluan, using a water cannon as it attempted to block the Philippine boat’s path. In the scramble, the coastguard vessel veered into a Chinese guided-missile destroyer that had crossed ahead, causing heavy damage to the smaller ship’s bow and visible scarring to the warship. Philippine officials said the cutter was rendered unseaworthy.
The encounter took place on Monday as the Philippine mission delivered food and fuel to local fishermen. Manila said its crews offered towing and medical assistance to the Chinese side after the collision; there has been no confirmation of casualties. China has not yet reported any injuries. Beijing criticised the presence of Philippine vessels but did not address the crash directly.
Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, about 120 nautical miles (roughly 220 kilometres) from Luzon’s baseline. China seized de facto control of the atoll following a 2012 standoff, and has since maintained regular coastguard and militia patrols around the feature.
In July 2016, an arbitral tribunal seated in The Hague under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ruled that China’s “nine-dash line” claims had no lawful effect where they exceeded maritime entitlements provided by the convention, and that Chinese interference with Filipino fishing and petroleum exploration breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights. China rejected the award and continues to deny its validity.
The South China Sea is a critical artery for global commerce. Estimates vary, but widely cited research suggests around one-third of world maritime trade transits these waters each year, linking East Asia with markets and energy sources across the Indian Ocean. Any disruption around bottlenecks such as the Strait of Malacca would carry wider economic consequences.
Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have increased over the past two years, particularly around Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila maintains a small outpost aboard a grounded transport ship. Incidents have included ramming, close-quarter blocking and repeated water-cannon use by Chinese coastguard ships against Philippine craft. On Tuesday a Philippine admiral warned similar clashes could recur if hazardous manoeuvres continue.
Manila has sought to document these encounters, releasing imagery to support diplomatic protests and to underline its assertion that operations are taking place within its exclusive economic zone. The footage of Monday’s collision forms part of that effort. The Philippine Coast Guard said the mission in this case was to assist fishing communities that operate near the shoal, an area traditionally used by Filipino, Chinese and other regional fishers.
Beijing maintains that Philippine government ships entered waters it regards as under Chinese jurisdiction and says its coastguard acted to expel them in accordance with domestic law. That position sits at odds with the 2016 ruling and with the Philippines’ interpretation of its rights under UNCLOS, and has been rejected by successive governments in Manila.
The incident also followed joint naval activities in nearby waters by the Philippines and India, part of a wider pattern of security cooperation among countries concerned about regional stability and maritime access. While there is no indication the exercises were directly linked to the encounter at Scarborough, officials in Manila have framed the episode as further evidence of the risks posed by aggressive ship-handling in congested sea lanes.
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