Satellite images obtained by Reuters show that a Chinese coast guard ship, which was damaged in a collision with a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea earlier this month, is currently undergoing repairs on Hainan Island.
Imagery from Maxar Technologies on August 21st reveals that the coast guard ship with the number CG3104 sustained severe damage to its bow and is docked at the dry dock facility in Yulin Naval Base near Sanya, with assistance from tugboats.
Official comments from the Chinese authorities regarding the ship collision incident have not been released. The Philippines, on the other hand, stated that on August 11th, while their coast guard ship was providing supplies to Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal, it was blocked and surrounded by multiple Chinese vessels, leading to the collision.
A video released by the Philippine coast guard shows that the Chinese Navy’s Type 052D guided-missile destroyer with the hull number 164, known as the “Guilin,” abruptly cut into the path of the Chinese coast guard vessel 3104, resulting in a violent collision. The Philippines claimed that the actual target of the destroyer was the Philippine coast guard ship BRP Suluan.
Following the collision, Beijing accused the Philippines of engaging in “dangerous actions,” while the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the Philippines should not be held accountable for the incident. Scarborough Shoal is located around 140 miles west of Luzon Island in the Philippines within its exclusive economic zone, but China has been dispatching coast guard ships to assert control since 2012.
According to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague’s ruling in 2016, Beijing’s claims based on the “Nine-Dash Line” in the South China Sea are invalid, and it found that China’s blockage of Scarborough Shoal violated international law, as the waters are considered traditional fishing grounds for multiple countries including the Philippines. However, Beijing has refused to accept the ruling.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries about whether there were any casualties on the coast guard vessel 3104 or if it returned under its own power.
Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard, stated on Wednesday (August 27th) that a day after the incident, two Chinese vessels were observed leaving Scarborough Shoal, and subsequent aerial patrols did not detect their presence. Tarriela emphasized that “the Chinese coast guard did not contact the Philippine coast guard to report any possible casualties or injuries.”
Ray Powell, a member of the maritime analysis organization SeaLight, pointed out on the social media platform X that the vessel involved, number 3104, did not activate its transponder before or after the accident. However, another coast guard vessel and other Chinese ships conducted search and rescue operations near Scarborough Shoal the following day.