China Coast Guard patrol cutter CCG 3104 collided with People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 052D Destroyer (164, Guilin) while pursuing Philippines Coast Guard vessel BRP Suluan in the South China Sea. Image from video
By Bloomberg News
Aug 15, 2025 (Bloomberg) –China and the Philippines are trading blame over an incident earlier this week in which two Chinese ships collided in the South China Sea, where both nations have competing territorial claims.
On Monday, a China Coast Guard vessel had its bow badly damaged in a collision with a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship.
Manila has said the incident occurred as the vessels were chasing a Philippine Coast Guard ship, but Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Jiang Bin on Friday accused Philippine ships of having engaged in “dangerous maneuvers,” such as high-speed ramming and large-angle turns across the bows of Chinese vessels.
This “created a complex and urgent situation at sea, seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and rights, seriously endangered the safety of Chinese vessels and personnel, and seriously undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Jiang added.
Manila denies those allegations.
The Philippines “bears no responsibility for the collision between the PLAN vessel and the CCG vessel,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office. “It was an unfortunate outcome, but not one caused by our actions.”
Beijing’s claims to parts of the South China Sea — which are widely contested — have led to multiple maritime incidents involving the Philippines, and the Chinese navy earlier this week said it expelled a US Navy ship from the area. The US Navy rejected that characterization, describing the operation as a lawful assertion of navigational rights.
Read More: China, US Clash Over Naval Incident Near Scarborough Shoal
In referring to Monday’s events, 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. It didn’t mention Chinese ships colliding.
Instead it said it took “necessary measures, including monitoring, forcing, intercepting and controlling the Philippine vessels to expel them.”
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
The head of the US Southern Command is visiting key Caribbean nations this week, as President Donald Trump’s administration surges forces into the region in a bid to hem in Venezuela.
Around six weeks after running aground in Canada’s Arctic waters Dutch cargo vessel Thamesborg and its icebreaker and tug escort have left the waters of the Northwest Passage. The convoy is traveling southward in Baffin Bay towards the Davis Strait and will leave Arctic waters in the next few days.
Nearly five weeks after running around in Canada’s Arctic Northwest Passage, Dutch cargo ship Thamesborg appears to have been successfully refloated. The vessel’s operator, Wagenborg, had indicated that it would be attempting a refloat this week. The ice-class cargo vessel was en route from China to eastern Canada via the polar waters when it ran aground atop a shoal on September 6.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
