A Chinese Coast Guard vessel rammed into a Philippine fishing patrol boat earlier today in the latest escalation between the two countries.
It also marks the second time in less than a week that Chinese and Philippine vessels have collided during confrontations near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
Nestor Corrales, a Filipino journalist on board the vessel, captured the moment the CCG rammed their boat and fired a war cannon at them. He shared the dramatic footage on X, writing: “China Coast Guard ship 21551 rams the BRP Datu Sanday 10 nautical miles from Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea at about 2.11pm.”
He shared a second video, adding: “China Coast Guard ship 4102 fires water cannon against the BRP Datu Sanday on its way to Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. The Inquirer is aboard the BRP Datu Sanday.
The Philippines BRP Datu Sanday vessel is a 30-metre-long civilian patrol that helps protect its country’s fishing vessels in the area.
The collision and water cannon incident took place in the Escoda Shoal – a disputed atoll in the northeast of the Spratly Islands, an area claimed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The Chine Coast Guard immediately blamed the Philippines for the incident, saying that the Philippine vessel had “illegally entered the waters without permission from the Chinese government on Sunday and continued to dangerously approach a Chinese maritime patrol vessel engaged in normal operations”.
It added: “In response, the Chinese Coast Guard took regulatory measures against the Philippine vessel’s illegal intrusion.”
The shoal is more than 1,000km from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.
China and the Philippines have had repeated confrontations in the waterway in recent months. Many leaders in the Philippines fear that China could be about to build an artificial island in the disputed waters.
On Monday, Manila’s National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea said two of its coast guard ships were damaged in collisions with Chinese vessels that were conducting “unlawful and aggressive manoeuvres” near the shoal.
Beijing has continued to claim control over the South China Sea – even though an international tribunal ruled that its assertion has no legal basis.
The growing tensions over the disputed area has sparked fears of all-out war from China. The repeated clashes in the South China Sea have sparked concern that the US – a strong ally of the Philippines – could be drawn into a conflict.