Tensions in the South China Sea intensified Friday when a Chinese Coast Guard vessel collided with a Philippine government ship, an encounter recorded on video that led Manila and Beijing to issue sharply different accounts.
The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat was delivering fuel to Filipino fishermen when the collision occurred at 11:13 a.m. The incident took place about 54 nautical miles from Palawan province, inside what Manila considers the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Video released by the Philippine Coast Guard captured crew members yelling, “Brace for impact!” just before the crash. Images taken afterward showed bent and detached railings, damaged metal supports and debris on the Philippine vessel’s deck. No one was injured.
A Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel, identified as DA-BFAR MMOV 3015, moves near another ship during a maritime encounter. (Chinese Coast Guard )
Philippine officials accused Beijing of intentionally ramming a civilian government vessel during what they characterized as a humanitarian mission supporting Filipino fishermen.
Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for West Philippine Sea affairs, said the Chinese ship initially crossed behind the Philippine vessel at a distance of about 33 feet. He said it repeated the maneuver several minutes later, this time colliding with the ship.
Two Philippine Coast Guard vessels were reportedly surrounded by Chinese ships during a tense South China Sea standoff on March 24, 2025. (Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/Anadolu via Getty Images)
China rejected that version of events. Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue said the Philippine vessel “intentionally adjusted its course and suddenly accelerated to cut across the bow” of the Chinese ship despite repeated warnings. Beijing said its vessel was carrying out lawful operations near Sabina Shoal and held the Philippine side responsible for the collision.
On March 5, 2024, two Chinese Coast Guard water cannons struck the Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4, shown at center, as it attempted to reach Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Washington also weighed in on the latest confrontation. U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton said the United States “strongly condemn[s] the China Coast Guard’s deliberate ramming.”
The Chinese Embassy in Manila countered that the United States was supporting Philippine “infringement and provocations” in the contested waters.
Friday’s collision follows a string of maritime confrontations involving China and the Philippines. In July, Manila alleged that Chinese forces used water cannons against government vessels near Scarborough Shoal and that a Philippine Navy staff member was struck in the head with a wooden baton during an encounter near Second Thomas Shoal.
