In the disputed waters of the South China Sea near the Huangyan Island, a high-speed collision incident occurred recently between a 7500-ton People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) destroyer, the “Guilin,” and a 1000-ton China Coast Guard vessel, the “3104,” as they were chasing after the Philippine Coast Guard 300-ton patrol vessel, the “Sulu-Archer,” in a bid to assert territorial and fishing rights.
According to Peng Jieshen, a former instructor of the Republic of China Marine Corps and a former lecturer at the Thunder God Consulting Company, the collision video released by the Philippine side shows that when the Chinese “3104” Coast Guard vessel was rapidly closing in on the Philippine “Sulu-Archer” vessel, the PLAN’s “Guilin” suddenly cut through the space between the two vessels when they were only a hundred meters apart.
“A loud bang resounded!” Peng Jieshen said, noting that the Chinese “3104” Coast Guard vessel directly collided with the left bow of the “Guilin,” causing the front of the “3104” Coast Guard vessel to be completely destroyed, losing its operational capabilities and drifting at sea. In contrast, the Chinese “Guilin” vessel sustained multiple dents and scratches on its left bow, with potential damage to its bow sonar and internal systems due to the high-speed impact.
Peng Jieshen pointed out that from the video footage, it is evident that the two Chinese vessels failed to demonstrate the C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) capabilities touted in their promotional materials, lacking even the basic ability to coordinate communication between the two ships. What should have been a routine mission turned into a blunder, with the Philippine 300-ton patrol boat turning the tables on the Chinese vessels. The Philippine officials and crew were warmly welcomed upon their return home and commended with medals.
Following the collision between the two Chinese vessels resulting in casualties falling overboard, the Philippine “Sulu-Archer” vessel broadcasted a message to the Chinese “3104” vessel offering medical assistance and rescue, with no response from the Chinese side. Surprisingly, the Chinese “Guilin” vessel even accelerated its pursuit of the Philippine vessel instead of acknowledging the offer of help.
Peng Jieshen highlighted that the Chinese military has a history of disregarding the lives of their personnel. He cited examples from the Korean War where high-ranking officers of the democratic forces, led by the United States, were at the forefront and suffered high casualty rates, contrasting it with the Chinese strategy that often puts lower-ranking soldiers in the line of fire, resulting in heavy casualties while their officers remain unscathed.
Although the collision incident has concluded, Roy Trinidad, the spokesperson for the Philippine Navy in maritime affairs, warned during a press conference that similar incidents may continue as long as China persists in engaging in “illegal, coercive, belligerent, and deceptive” activities in this strategic waterway.
Given China’s repeated incidents of malicious collisions in the South China Sea, Peng Jieshen suggested that the Republic of China Navy should promptly establish a mechanism to prevent such collisions.
Previously, in an exclusive interview with Epoch Times, Peng Jieshen analyzed the response of the Taiwanese military to the Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan and recommended that the Republic of China Navy proactively refurbish recently decommissioned “Kin Chiang” class ships or other thousand-ton class vessels, by removing unnecessary equipment to lighten the weight, increase the speed, strengthen the hull’s steel structure to counteract the Chinese military’s aggressive gray-zone collision tactics.