China Ship Rams Philippine Boat Near Spratly Islands — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said China Coast Guard vessel CCG-21585 rammed BRP Datu Magat Salamat on the morning of Sep 18 as it conducted a maritime patrol delivering fuel subsidies to Filipino fishermen near a Spratly Islands shoal.
- Tarriela detailed the timeline: at 11:04am, CCG-21585 cut across the stern of the fisheries bureau (BFAR) vessel at roughly 10 meters, then repeated the maneuver nine minutes later and made contact, striking the ship.
- China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue pushed back, accusing the Philippine vessel of disregarding "repeated solemn warnings" and deliberately changing course to "cut across the bow of the Chinese coast guard vessel," declaring the Philippine side "bears full responsibility."
- Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, and the contested shoal in the fish-rich Spratly chain has been the site of violent confrontations with China Coast Guard vessels in recent years.
- Philippine Coast Guard released video on X showing the Chinese vessel near the stern and a crewmember shouting "collision," though the actual moment of impact is not visible in the footage.
- Philippines-China confrontations in the South China Sea resumed in July after a brief period of quiet, making headlines while Manila was hosting a gathering of ASEAN foreign ministers.
Why it matters: The ramming near a Spratly shoal reignites direct vessel-to-vessel confrontations between China and the Philippines just months after a brief lull, with each side issuing sharply worded blame. Because Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite a binding international ruling against that position, each new collision at fish-rich flashpoints raises the stakes for Filipino fishermen and the crews Manila sends to escort them.
Ask SkimNews
