Chinese Vessels Collide During Philippine Boat Chase In South China Sea: Here’s What We Know So Far

A Chinese navy warship collided with a China Coast Guard vessel on Monday while both were chasing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard said, releasing video of the incident, reported Reuters.

According to coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela, the clash happened near the disputed Scarborough Shoal as the Philippine vessel BRP Suluan was escorting aid boats for local fishermen.

Footage showed the China Coast Guard ship CCG 3104 and a larger vessel numbered 164 slamming into each other with a loud crash. Tarriela said the coast guard ship was pursuing the BRP Suluan at high speed when it made a dangerous turn, hitting the Chinese navy vessel. The impact heavily damaged the coast guard ship’s front section, making it unfit to sail.

Chinese coast guard spokesman Gan Yu confirmed a confrontation but did not mention the collision. He said Chinese forces acted “in accordance with the law” to block and drive away the Philippine vessels.

The incident is the latest in a string of tense encounters between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely, despite a 2016 international ruling rejecting its claim. The Scarborough Shoal, a chain of reefs and rocks, has been a flashpoint since China took control from the Philippines in 2012.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos vowed his country’s vessels would continue patrolling the area to defend Manila’s sovereign rights.

Tarriela added that earlier in the chase, the BRP Suluan was targeted with a water cannon but avoided it. He said the Chinese crew ignored offers of assistance after the crash.

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