Chinese ships collide while pursuing Filipino coast guard vessel in South China Sea

A Chinese Navy vessel and a Chinese Coast Guard ship have collided in the South China Sea while engaging with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.

The incident occurred on Aug. 11 and was captured on video by personnel aboard the Philippine Coast Guard vessel the BRP Suluan.

Collision

At one point, a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel bearing the hull number 3104 pursued the BRP Suluan at “high speed”.

A video published by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel, number 3104, pursuing the BRP Suluan at "high speed", with its water cannon in operation.

It gets ever closer to the Filipino vessel, with what appears to be at least one crewman preparing for possible contact between the two vessels.

Suddenly, a much larger vessel comes into view, moving left to the right, almost perpendicular to both PCG and CCG ships, colliding with the CCG 3104.

The CCG vessel disappears from view, while the new vessel, identified by the United States-based defence intelligence outlet The War Zone as the People’s Liberation Army-Navy, destroy Guilin, turns to match the Suluan’s movement.

The PCG video shows the CCG 3104’s crumpled bow and several marks on the hull of the Guilin, confirming that both ships had taken damage.

Trarriela also shared a video showing the BCG offering support, and said that the BCG had offered “assistance with man-overboard recovery and medical aid for any injured CCG crew members”.

According to PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela, the incident occurred approximately 10.5 nautical miles east of Bajo di Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal.

The Suluan was deployed to the area with two other Filipino vessels in order to refuel and resupply a Filipino fishing fleet operating in the area.

Hazardous manoeuvres

The Scarborough Shoal is a disputed area in the South China Sea, claimed by the Philippines, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of China.

It has been the site of previous confrontations between seagoing vessels from both the Philippines and the PRC.

On this occasion, the PCG reported that several of its vessels had encountered "hazardous manoeuvres and blocking actions from other vessels in the vicinity”, with some of their vessels even being targeted by water cannon.

The BCG confirmed that they were able to “safely escort the Filipino fishermen to a secure location”, where they were provided with fuel and supplies.

France 24 quoted a CCG spokesperson as confirming a confrontation had taken place, saying that it had taken “necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away”.

The spokesperson, however, did not mention the collision.

Arbitration and lines

The Scarborough Shoal and other South China Sea islands and features have seen several confrontations between the PRC and the Philippines.

Water cannons and manoeuvres have become a staple of these interactions, as have face-to-face confrontations.

An incident in 2024 saw forces from both coast guards getting into a physical altercation, resulting in a Filipino sailor losing a thumb.

A Philippine armed forces video of the incident shows CCG personnel "harassing" PCG sailors, at one point even brandishing an axe.

Both countries claim ownership of the Scarborough Shoal, which is about 220 km from the coast of the Philippines, and about 800km away from China’s coast, although it is described by the Centre for Strategic & International Studies as "effectively controlled by China".

Through the “Nine-Dash-Line”, the PRC claims large parts of the South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal.

This claim has been disputed by the Philippines, which brought a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013.

While the Court declined to rule on the sovereignty of the shoal, it denied the validity of the “Nine-Dash-Line”.

China declined to participate in the tribunal, saying that, among other things, it lacked jurisdiction.

Top image via Jay Tarriela/Facebook