China Coast Guard Rams Philippine Boat During Resupply Mission

The Philippine Coast Guard said a China Coast Guard vessel collided with a Philippine boat carrying out a resupply mission in the South China Sea on Friday. The incident damaged the Philippine vessel’s railings and deck structures but left no one injured. The BRP Datu Magat Salamat, run by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, was delivering fuel to Filipino fishermen about 54 nautical miles off Palawan when the Chinese ship, according to the PCG, carried out a series of maneuvers and struck the boat. The Philippine agency said in a statement that China “deliberately” rammed a civilian government vessel on a humanitarian and livelihood mission. Video released by the PCG showed crew members shouting “brace for impact!” shortly before the collision at 11:13 a.m. China said it conducted law enforcement near Sabina Shoal after the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings and cut across the Chinese ship’s bow; it blamed the collision on the Philippine side. In July, Manila accused Beijing of using water cannon near Scarborough Shoal and striking a Navy staff member with a wooden baton near Second Thomas Shoal.