Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Año stated on Thursday (September 18th) that a chase operation by China in the South China Sea last month resulted in a collision between their own vessels, leading to at least two Chinese crew members’ deaths. This incident has caused the Beijing authorities to lose face, and China’s recent actions in the disputed waters have escalated significantly.
Año emphasized at a press conference that the Chinese government needs to provide clear explanations domestically. He pointed out that the collision between the Chinese coast guard and warship with a Philippine coast guard vessel in August was “extremely embarrassing” for the Chinese military and coast guard.
According to reports cited by Año, Chinese personnel died in the incident, but no details were provided. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian claimed that the Philippines “seriously violated China’s sovereignty and endangered the safety of Chinese personnel,” without addressing the rumors of deaths.
The Philippines later released patrol footage showing the Philippine coast guard vessel “BRP Suluan” being intercepted by Chinese coast guard vessel 3104 and the warship “Guilin” on August 11th near Scarborough Shoal. The video shows the Guilin colliding with 3104 during a high-speed interception, causing severe damage to the latter’s bow and rendering it unable to navigate. Despite sustaining lighter damage, the Guilin still bore visible collision marks on its port side.
The Philippines stated that they had attempted to offer radio assistance but received no response from the Chinese side. Approximately an hour later, China dispatched the supply ship “Honghu” and several militia vessels for search and rescue. Filipino Senator Panfilo Lacson mentioned that two Chinese coast guard personnel had died, while military accounts on Chinese social media platform Weibo posted three candle images, sparking speculation about three deaths.
Given that this incident occurred just before China’s military parade on September 3rd, Beijing imposed a comprehensive news blackout, with minimal coverage in domestic media.
This week, Chinese coast guard vessels once again used water cannons to attack Philippine Bureau of Fisheries ships near Scarborough Shoal, causing damage to the hull and injuring a crew member. China accused the Philippine ships of “illegally entering Chinese territorial waters.”
Año criticized, “They are doing everything they can to prevent us from approaching Scarborough Shoal.”
Last week, China declared Scarborough Shoal a “national nature reserve.” The Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest, claiming that this action violated sovereignty and international law.
Scarborough Shoal is located approximately 120 nautical miles off Zambales province in the Philippines and is a significant fishing ground. China has effectively controlled the island since 2012, despite it lying within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In 2016, a Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China’s “nine-dash line” claim was invalid, but China has not recognized it and continues to deploy coast guard patrols.
Año reiterated the Philippines’ stance, saying, “Scarborough Shoal is our territory, and we have a responsibility to ensure its preservation. We will avoid violence but will not back down.”
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, overlapping with the economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. The United States sent a warship to cruise near Scarborough Shoal on August 13th to express support for the Philippines.