A high-speed naval confrontation in the South China Sea descended into maritime mayhem on Monday when two Chinese vessels collided with each other while aggressively pursuing a Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat near the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal.
The dramatic incident unfolded approximately 11 nautical miles east of Scarborough Shoal as Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Suluan was conducting a humanitarian mission to supply fuel and essential goods to 35 Filipino fishing vessels in the area.

Video footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard captured the extraordinary sequence of events: China Coast Guard vessel CCG-3104 was pursuing the BRP Suluan at high speed while deploying water cannons when it suddenly executed what officials described as a “risky maneuver”. The Chinese Coast Guard cutter attempted a sharp starboard turn, apparently to intercept the Philippine vessel, when the much larger People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer Guilin (hull number 164) unexpectedly crossed between the two ships at high speed.
The collision was both spectacular and devastating. The 7,500-tonne Type 052D guided-missile destroyer struck the 1,500-tonne former Type 056 corvette with tremendous force, essentially crushing the Coast Guard vessel’s bow and rendering it “unseaworthy,” according to Philippine officials.
Naval experts analyzing the incident identified the Chinese Navy vessel as the Guilin, one of China’s advanced Type 052D destroyers, while the damaged Coast Guard ship appears to be a converted Type 056 corvette that was transferred from military to coast guard service.
Despite the aggressive Chinese actions that led to the collision, Philippine Coast Guard personnel demonstrated remarkable professionalism throughout the incident. Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea operations, reported that Filipino crews immediately offered assistance to the Chinese vessels.
“Following the collision, the PCG immediately offered support, including assistance with man-overboard recovery and medical aid for any injured CCG crew members,” Tarriela stated. However, he noted that Chinese personnel “never responded” to the Filipino ship’s offer of assistance