Chinese Coast Guard Ship Slams into Chinese Navy Destroyer in South China Sea
On August 11, at around 7:30AM Philippine time, a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided with a People’s Liberation Army Navy Destroyer during an altercation with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. The collision took place to the east of Scarborough Shoal inside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. No injuries or deaths have been reported, however one ship has suffered significant damage.
During the incident, The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was in the process of responding to and helping supply 35 Filipino fishing vessels in the area, and encountered several ships of the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) conducting risky maneuvers and blocking actions. One of the PCG ships, the BRP Suluhan, was chased at high speed by a Chinese Coast Guard ship numbered 3104, which was attempting to catch up to and fire water cannons at the smaller PCG ship. At the same time, a PLA Navy type 052D destroyer, Ship 164, also began to chase the BRP Suluhan.
After some time, the Chinese Coast Guard cutter attempted a maneuver on the starboard side of the Suluhan, putting it directly into the path of the Chinese Navy destroyer. Both ships attempted to avert the collision, however, the high speed of both ships led to neither being able to react in time, resulting in the bow of CCG ship 3104 hitting and scraping along the side of the PLAN ship 164. The resulting collision smashed the bow and forecastle of the Chinese Coast Guard Cutter.
The BRP Suluhan was not damaged during the collision and was quick to offer assistance with search and rescue and medical care, however, the two stricken ships did not respond. Potential injuries are currently unknown, however during the video taken onboard the Philippine Coast Guard vessel, several sailors can be seen on the bow of the Chinese Coast Guard ship just before impact and are not seen when the CCG ship pulls away from the destroyer.
This incident comes in the wake of increased hostilities around the Philippine’s EEZ, with several previous hostile encounters occurring off Scarborough Shoal in the months prior. The response of the Philippine Coast Guard to the presence of fishing vessels was motivated by the Philippines recent Transparency Initiative, where the Philippine government seeks to publish footage and reports of altercations and hostilities between themselves and Chinese vessels in an attempt to counter China’s so called “grey zone operations”. This initiative began in 2023 after another incident with the China Coast Guard vessel that involved a laser being shined into the bridge of a PCG ship. This is also following an effort started last month to speed up talks between ASEAN and China on forming a code of conduct within the South China Sea, which is intended to reduce tensions in the region.
In a statement immediately following the collision, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela stated; “The Philippine Coast Guard reaffirms its dedication to safeguarding all maritime operations in the area and wishes for the swift recovery and proper treatment of any affected CCG personnel”.