Chinese crew members were killed in a collision last month near a contested feature in the South China Sea, the Philippines’ top security official said—marking the highest-profile claim yet that lives may have been lost in the incident.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The clash occurred August 11 near Scarborough Shoal, a resource-rich fishing ground situated within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone—where Manila is entitled to sole access to natural resources under international maritime law.
Footage released by the Philippine government shows a Chinese coast guard cutter colliding with a People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer after being outmaneuvered by a Philippine fisheries bureau vessel. The Philippine ship was part of a government mission to deliver supplies to local fishermen.
The bow of the Chinese coast guard vessel was severely damaged. Ship-tracking data showed apparent search-and-rescue operations in the area following the accident, indicating some crew members may have been thrown overboard by the impact.
What To Know
Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año told the media on Thursday that reports indicated at least two Chinese personnel were killed in the collision, according to Bloomberg. He did not specify the sources of those reports.
Año said that, in the wake of the accident, Chinese maritime forces were “under pressure” to defend Beijing’s territorial claims. “They have a lot of explaining to do back home,” he told reporters.
The claim follows earlier speculation that the Chinese side had suffered casualties. Last month, Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson cited reports suggesting that at least two Chinese coast guard members had died in the incident.
Beijing accused the Philippines of intruding into Chinese territory, saying Chinese forces acted to defend national sovereignty.
China asserts sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, putting it at odds with overlapping claims by the Philippines and several other neighbors. In 2016, a Hague-based arbitral tribunal rejected Beijing’s sweeping claims—a ruling that China continues to dismiss as invalid.
Scarborough Shoal—known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China—is among the most hotly disputed features in the region.
Beijing effectively seized control of the area after a 2012 standoff and has frequently ejected Filipino fishermen operating there. In response, the Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau have begun joint missions to support local anglers.
What People Are Saying
Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters during an August 11 news conference: “The Philippines’ moves seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and rights and interests, and seriously harmed peace and stability at sea. These moves are of a malign nature.”
Panfilo Lacson, the president pro tempore of the Philippine Senate, wrote on X: “While we are proud of a skillful maneuver by our [Philippine coast guard] captain, we also mourn the senseless loss of lives of the [Chinese coast guard] personnel.”
Lyle Morris, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute think tank’s Center for China Analysis, wrote in an August 11 X post discussing footage of the collision: “When the operational culture of a navy/coast guard is to habitually violate COLREGS [Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea] and norms of professionalism, this is the tragic result.
“The bow of China Coast Guard 3104 was completely destroyed colliding with PLA Navy Destroyer 164. The two sailors manning the bow of CCG 3104 likely died in the collision.”
What Happens Next
Chinese officials have not acknowledged the reported deaths.