Chinese Coast Guard Slams Into Their Own Vessel
China’s relentless bid to dominate the South China Sea has taken an unexpected — and almost cinematic — turn. For years, Beijing has been pushing its maritime claims with a mix of intimidation and theatrics: water cannons blasting at fishing boats, military-grade lasers aimed at bridge crews, and deliberate ramming is just shy of open warfare. The Philippines has been one of the few nations willing to openly push back, and that defiance is shielded by a mutual defense pact with the United States. This creates an awkward dilemma for Beijing: look tough, but don’t actually start shooting, lest you trigger a U.S. military response.
Philippines ship getting blasted by water cannons of China Coast Guard vessel near Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea.
Chinese appear to be aiming at tricolor Philippine flag & ship’s radar systems. pic.twitter.com/gWdAcBzPPE
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 1, 2024
The result? Years of dangerous games at sea, each designed to intimidate without crossing the ultimate red line. But what happened near Scarborough Shoal this week may be a first. In an apparent frenzy to block a Philippine vessel, a Chinese Coast Guard ship rammed straight into… a Chinese Navy ship. And there’s video.
Captured by a journalist aboard the pursued Philippine vessel, the footage shows the Coast Guard ship maneuvering aggressively — twice nearly colliding with the warship before the inevitable impact. The Navy vessel sustained serious dents, but the Coast Guard ship came away far worse: its bow crushed inward more than ten feet, leaving it unable to operate.
WATCH: This video shows a China Coast Guard ship ramming a Philippine fisheries vessel near Escoda Shoal on Wednesday morning, Dec. 4.
This incident is separate from an earlier confrontation that occurred the same day in Bajo de Masinloc. (🎥: PCG) pic.twitter.com/CblvBWPrm6
— Michael Delizo (@michael_delizo) December 4, 2024
Official Chinese statements acknowledged a “confrontation” but conveniently omitted the part about one Chinese ship smashing into another. If there hadn’t been cameras rolling, Beijing might have denied it outright.
My view of the collision at sea of China Coast Guard 3104 and PLA Navy 164 in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc in Zambales, Philippines.
Before this, the Chinese navy and coast guard ships nearly collided twice trying to outmaneuver BRP Suluan of the Philippine Coast Guard. pic.twitter.com/xePxkUn7oY— Raffy Tima (@raffytima) August 11, 2025
According to Philippine officials, their coast guard had been delivering aid to local fishermen when the Chinese began their risky maneuvers. Commodore Jay Tarriela described the ramming as a “substantial” hit to the Navy ship’s forward deck. What he didn’t say — but the video suggests — is that crewmen on the Coast Guard ship’s bow disappeared after impact. Whether they survived remains unknown, and given the scale of the damage, the worst seems plausible.
More footage from the Philippine Coast Guard showing the extent of the damage to China Coast Guard (CCG-3104), after it collided with a Type 052D Destroyer of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (DDG-164) earlier today in the West Philippine Sea. pic.twitter.com/hzSjUP4ych
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 11, 2025
That leaves two questions Beijing will almost certainly avoid answering: Who gets the blame, and was this accident really an accident? On the footage, the Navy ship appears to cut across the Coast Guard’s path, almost as if blocking its pursuit. If intentional, it may have been a quiet act of damage control — stopping the Coast Guard from sparking an international incident that China couldn’t walk back.