A Chinese navy warship collided with a vessel from its own coast guard during a high-speed chase of a Philippine patrol boat near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Monday, releasing dramatic video footage of the incident.
The collision, which took place in the South China Sea, happened while the Philippine Coast Guard was escorting boats delivering aid to local fishermen in the area.
The incident is the latest in a series of tense confrontations between China and the Philippines in the contested waters.
Video released by Manila shows a China Coast Guard ship and a larger navy vessel, marked with the number 164, colliding with a loud crash. Photos and additional footage later revealed that the coast guard vessel suffered major damage to its front section, with the bow crumpled inward.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela explained that the Chinese coast guard ship, CCG 3104, was chasing the Filipino patrol vessel BRP Suluan at high speed when it suddenly manoeuvred from the starboard side, causing it to smash into the nearby Chinese warship.
“This resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel’s forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy," Tarriela said in a statement.
He added that crew members were seen on the front deck of the damaged Chinese coast guard vessel just before the crash. “We’re not sure whether they were able to rescue those personnel who were in front prior to the collision. But we are hoping that these personnel are in good condition," he said.
Despite offers of help from the Philippine side, the Chinese crew “never responded", Tarriela noted.
China’s coast guard confirmed there had been a confrontation but did not mention the collision. A spokesperson said Chinese vessels took “necessary measures" to monitor and drive away Philippine ships, including “pressing from the outside" and “blocking".
The Scarborough Shoal, a chain of reefs and rocks in the South China Sea, has been a long-standing point of dispute between the two countries. China seized control of it in 2012, though the Philippines insists it lies within its exclusive economic zone.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., speaking at a news conference on Monday, said his country’s ships would continue to patrol the area and uphold Manila’s sovereign rights.
Earlier in the confrontation, the BRP Suluan was reportedly targeted with a water cannon by the Chinese coast guard but managed to evade it successfully, according to Tarriela.
Over 60 percent of global maritime trade passes through the South China Sea, making it one of the world’s most strategically important — and contested — waterways.
Source: ANI
