Chinese Ships Collide During Blockade Against Philippine Boat: Manila Says

Aug 12, 2025 - 09:56

Updated: 9 months ago

Chinese Ships Collide During Blockade Against Philippine Boat: Manila Says

Two Chinese ships collided while chasing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea, Manila said on Aug. 11, in the latest incident in a long-running standoff in the strategic waterway.

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel “performed a risky maneuver” in its “high speed” chase of a Philippine boat, which ultimately led to the collision with a ship from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, Jay Tarriela, said on social media.

The Chinese Coast Guard vessel sustained “substantial damage” to its forecastle, “rendering it unseaworthy,” said Tarriela, adding that the Philippine side “immediately offered support,” including medical aid for any injured Chinese crew members.

The incident occurred near Scarborough Shoal, a triangle-shaped coral reef in the South China Sea, which has long been a flashpoint in tensions between Beijing and Manila.

Located to the west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, Scarborough is rich in natural resources and serves as a vital fishing ground for local Filipino villagers. International law recognizes the area as part of the Philippines’ 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.

Since 2012, the Chinese regime has taken control of the region, as part of its broader push to assert sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea. A 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court determined that Beijing lacked the legal basis for its historical claims in the area. Still, the communist regime dismissed the ruling, ramping up its military and coast guard presence in the disputed areas to reinforce its claims.

In the latest flare-up, Tarriela said its vessels and fishermen “encountered hazardous maneuvers and blocking actions” from Chinese vessels in the vicinity.

A Philippine vessel was targeted with a water cannon by the Chinese side, but thanks to the skillful seamanship of its crew, it managed to evade being hit, he added.

The Chinese regime’s Coast Guard confirmed the encounter with its Philippine counterparts on Aug. 11, though it didn’t mention the collision of its ships. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the bureau, said in a statement on Aug. 11 that the Chinese Coast Guard “took necessary measures ... to expel the Philippine ships.”

He reiterated China’s territorial claims over Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing refers to as Huangyan Island.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during a press conference at Malacanang Palace in Manila on August 11, 2025. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

The incident came three days after the Chinese regime warned Manila against “playing with fire,” in response to the comments by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that his country would inevitably be drawn into a military conflict between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, due to the geographic proximity and its large population on the self-ruled island.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has viewed self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory to be taken by force if necessary.

“I don’t know what they’re talking about, ‘playing with fire?’ I was just stating facts,” Marcos said at a press conference on Aug. 11. “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 that, following his comments last week, the CCP has ramped up its activities in the South China Sea. He vowed not to back down.

“What will happen here is we will continue to be present. We will continue to defend our territory. We will continue to exercise our sovereign rights. And despite any opposition from anyone, we will continue to do that as we have done in the past three years.”

“Now, we do not intensify our operations; we just respond.”