A Chinese Coast Guard vessel collided with a Philippine government ship in the South China Sea on Friday, an incident caught on video that has drawn dueling accounts from Manila and Beijing and pulled Washington into the dispute.
The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat was handing out fuel to Filipino fishermen when the collision happened at 11:13 a.m., about 54 nautical miles off Palawan province. The Philippines says that location falls within its exclusive economic zone.
Video released by the Philippine Coast Guard captured crew members shouting “Brace for impact!” just before the ships met. Photos taken afterward showed bent and detached railings, damaged metal supports and debris scattered across the deck of the Philippine vessel. No injuries were reported.
Philippine officials said China deliberately rammed a civilian government ship that was on a humanitarian and livelihood mission. Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for West Philippine Sea concerns, said the Chinese vessel first cut across the Philippine ship’s stern at a distance of about 33 feet, then repeated the maneuver minutes later before the collision occurred.
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 after ignoring repeated warnings. Beijing said its vessel had been carrying out lawful operations near Sabina Shoal and put the blame for the collision on the Philippine side.
The United States weighed in as well. 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 responded by accusing the United States of backing Philippine “infringement and provocations” in the disputed waters.
Friday’s collision is the latest in a string of maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines. In July, Manila accused Chinese forces of firing water cannons at government vessels near Scarborough Shoal and striking a Philippine Navy staff member in the head with a wooden baton during a separate encounter at Second Thomas Shoal.
