Chinese warship rams coast guard while pursuing Philippine boats

Chinese warship rams coast guard while pursuing Philippine boats

A Chinese warship recently collided with its own coast guard ship while pursuing Filipino boats in the disputed South China Sea. This incident highlights the increasing tensions in one of the world's most strategic shipping lanes.

Collision details and reactions

Poignant footage from the Philippine Coast Guard shows the moment of the collision, which tore off a key part of the Chinese ship's bow. Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard reported that the incident occurred Monday while aid was being distributed to Filipino fishermen near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, located about 140 miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon.

Dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea

Tarriela explained that a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel was pursuing the Philippine patrol vessel BRP Suluan at "high speed" when the collision occurred. “Filipino boats and fishermen were put at risk by risky maneuvers and blockade operations,” he added, and one of the Filipino boats was fired upon with a water cannon but managed to escape being hit. He added that the Chinese ship then carried out "a risky maneuver" that caused "significant damage" to the forecastle of the Chinese coast guard vessel, rendering the ship "unseaworthy."

Recordings and international context

Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard show the People's Liberation Army ship hull number 164, a Type 052D destroyer, careening into the Chinese coast guard ship 3104 as both pursued the much smaller BRP Suluan. At least three members of the Chinese Coast Guard were seen on the bow of CCG 3104 at the time of impact. The Philippine Coast Guard said it immediately offered assistance, including assistance in retrieving those who fell overboard and medical care for injured CCG crew members.

China's statement and geopolitical tensions

While China has confirmed a confrontation with Philippine ships, it has not yet confirmed a collision between its two ships. A Chinese coast guard spokesman, Gan Yu, said the "Philippines dispatched several coastal defense and government vessels under the pretext of delivering supplies to fishing vessels to forcibly enter the waters," which China refers to as Huangyan Dao. Gan mentioned that the Chinese Coast Guard “has taken all necessary measures, including tracking, surveillance, blocking and control, to expel the Philippine vessels.” However, he ignored the incident in the open sea.

The geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea

The South China Sea remains a flashpoint of territorial disputes between China, the Philippines and several other nations. It is an important maritime trade route through which an estimated one-third of global shipping traffic passes, worth trillions of dollars annually, and it is home to fertile fishing grounds upon which many livelihoods rely.

Summary and future developments

Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships have increased in recent years, fueling fears that a major accident could escalate into a conflict between the two countries. The Philippines is a military ally of the United States, while China, which is rapidly expanding its navy, is the United States' main rival in the region. Both China and the Philippines claim Scarborough Shoal as well as small islands and atolls in the South China Sea.