China rams own warship while chasing Philippine vessel

A Chinese warship ploughed into its own coast guard vessel on Monday while the latter was chasing a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea, Manila said.

Philippine coast guard officials were distributing aid to fishermen in the disputed Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela said, when the Chinese coast guard “performed a risky manoeuvre” which inflicted “substantial damage” on the Chinese warship’s forward deck.

China confirmed that a confrontation took place and accused the Philippines of “forcibly intruding” into Chinese waters, but did not mention the collision.

The South China Sea is at the centre of a territorial dispute between China, the Philippines and other countries.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila have sharply escalated in recent years, with each side accusing the other of provocations and altercations at sea, including some involving weapons such as swords, spears and knives.

The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks, has been a flashpoint between the two countries since China seized it in 2012.

Video released by Manila showed a Chinese coast guard vessel firing water cannons as it chased the Philippine coast guard ship, before slamming loudly into a much larger Chinese ship after making a sudden turn.

The collision rendered the Chinese warship “unseaworthy”, Tarriela said. It is unclear if anyone was injured in the incident.

The Philippines Coast Guard has “consistently urged” the Chinese authorities to respect international conventions in handling territorial disputes, “especially considering their role in enforcing maritime laws”, Tarriela said.

“We have also emphasised that such reckless behaviour at sea could ultimately lead to accidents,” he added.

China’s coast guard, however, said it was acting “in accordance with the law” and took “all necessary measures” to drive the Philippine vessels away.

This is the latest in a string of dangerous encounters over the last two years as Beijing and Manila seek to enforce their claims on disputed reefs and outcrops in the South China Sea.

In December last year, the Philippines said China’s coast guard fired water cannons and “sideswiped” a government vessel during a maritime patrol near the Scarborough Shoal.

Beijing initially said Philippine ships “came dangerously close” and that its crew’s actions had been “in accordance with the law”. It later accused Manila of making “bogus accusations in an attempt to mislead international understanding”.

In June 2024, Filipino soldiers used their “bare hands” to fight off Chinese coast guard personnel armed with swords, spears and knives in the area. The skirmish led to one Filipino soldier losing his thumb, Manila said.