Watch: Chinese Warship Collides With Own Coast Guard Vessel During South China Sea Pursuit

A Chinese navy vessel collided with one of its own coast guard ships while pursuing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea on Monday, according to Manila officials who released video footage of the incident.

The collision occurred near the contested Scarborough Shoal as the Philippine coast guard was escorting boats distributing aid to fishermen in the area.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, reported that “the CCG 3104, which was chasing the BRP Suluan at high speed, performed a risky manoeuvre from the Philippine vessel’s starboard quarter, leading to the impact with the PLA Navy warship.”

Video released by Manila shows a China Coast Guard ship and a larger vessel bearing the number 164 on its hull colliding with a loud crash. According to Tarriela, the collision “resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel’s forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy.”

When offered assistance by the Filipino ship, the Chinese crew “never responded,” Tarriela told AFP.

In a statement, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Gan Yu said, “The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away.”

Prior to the collision, the Philippine vessel BRP Suluan was “targeted with a water cannon” by Chinese forces but “successfully evaded it,” according to Tarriela’s statement.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos affirmed at a morning news conference that his country’s patrol vessels would “continue to be present” in the area to defend and exercise Manila’s sovereign rights over what it considers to be part of its territory.

The incident represents the latest in a series of confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.

More video of the incident:

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