A Chinese warship collided with one from its own coast guard while in pursuit of a Philippine vessel near the disputed South China Sea on Monday, marking the latest incident in a series of maritime confrontations between the two countries.
Footage from the Philippine Coast Guard showed a Chinese Jiangdao-class coast guard cutter (3104) chasing the PCG’s Parola-class patrol vessel BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) at high speed as it delivered aid to fishermen near Scarborough Shoal.
However, the Chinese coast guard ship instead collided with a People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 052D guided-missile destroyer (164) that maneuvered between the two vessels.
The damage was so severe that it left the Chinese coast guard vessel “unseaworthy,” PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commo. Jay Tarriela claimed. He added that China refused any assistance for potential injuries or rescue operations.
The PCG’s BRP Suluan and BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) were on a mission to deliver fuel and supplies to approximately 35 Filipino fishing boats.
“During the operation, Philippine vessels and fishermen encountered hazardous maneuvers and blocking actions from other vessels in the vicinity. In particular, the Suluan was targeted with a water cannon, but the seamanship skills by PCG crew members allowed the vessel to successfully evade from getting hit,”
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commo. Jay Tarriela
Chinese vessels have maintained a continuous presence in the West Philippine Sea—part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea—to enforce Beijing’s broad and disputed maritime and territorial claims. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal ruled that China’s excessive claims lack any legal basis under international law, a verdict that Beijing has refused to accept.
Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, confirmed in a separate statement that a confrontation took place on Monday but did not acknowledge the collision.
“The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away,” he said.
