Chinese ships smash into each other while chasing Philippine boat, footage shows

Two Chinese vessels collided after one of them chased a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea, in the latest encounter between the two nations with competing claims in the resource-rich waterway.

A China Coast Guard vessel collided with a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship early on Monday while it was chasing a Philippine boat at “high speed”, resulting in “substantial damage” to the Chinese coast guard ship, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said in a post on X.

The collision was part of Manila’s account of the incident that happened near Scarborough Shoal, where Philippine vessels and fishermen encountered “hazardous manoeuvres and blocking actions” from Chinese ships.

A Chinese vessel targeted a Philippine ship with water cannon, but the latter was able to evade it, Tarriela said. Footage of the incident posted by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the Chinese ship cut off by the larger destroyer, which crumpled the smaller ship’s bow and ended the chase.

Beijing has used water cannon on Philippine ships in the South China Sea in the past to assert its maritime claims, with its coast guard also deploying it to drive away a Philippine vessel in June.

Chinese vessels have also previously collided with Philippine ships on multiple occasions in disputed waters, which have damaged Manila’s boats and at times injured Filipino crew members.

The China Coast Guard said in a statement that it warned off a fleet of Philippine boats after the latter deliberately intruded into the waters near Scarborough Shoal despite repeated warnings.

“The China Coast Guard, in accordance with the law, took necessary measures, including monitoring, forcing, intercepting and controlling the Philippine vessels to expel them,” it said. There was no mention of Chinese ships colliding.

The latest encounter in the South China Sea took place days after Beijing urged Manila to “refrain from playing with fire” over Taiwan.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos jnr said his country could be pulled into a possible conflict in case there was a confrontation between the US and China over Taiwan, due to their geographic proximity. China regards the self-governing island north of the Philippines as a renegade province.

“Despite our fervent wish to avoid any confrontation with anybody anywhere, war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines kicking and screaming into the conflict,” Marcos said in a briefing.

Marcos also said the Philippines, a longtime US ally, will not back down from pushing its claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims in almost its entirety despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that rejected it.

“We will continue to defend our territory. We will continue to exercise our sovereign rights and despite any opposition from anyone,” he said.

Bloomberg

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