China rams own warship in botched chase of Philippine vessel in South China Sea | WATCH

This handout video grab released and taken on August 11, 2025 by the Philippine Coast Guard shows an incident between a Chinese Navy vessel (far L, bow pictured) and a Chinese Coast Guard ship (2nd L) as seen from a Philippine fisheries boat near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. A Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its coast guard while chasing a Philippines patrol boat in the South China Sea, Manila said on August 11, releasing dramatic video footage of the confrontation. (Photo by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) / AFP)

In a dramatic James Bond-style chase sequence that went awry, a Chinese warship rammed into its own coast guard vessel in the geopolitically-sensitive waters of South China Sea on Monday. The Chinese coast guard vehicle was chasing a vessel from the Philippines. The dramatic sequence and Chinese warship ploughing into its own tracking vessel was caught live on camera. The visuals of the episode in the high-stake location has gone viral.

While confirming the incident, Beijing blamed the Philippines of intruding into its naval boundaries. In a statement published in government-run Global Times, China’s Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said, “On-site operations were conducted in a professional, standard, and lawful manner.”

As per the statement issued by officials in Manila, Philippines officials were distributing aid to fishermen in the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Commodore Jay Tarriela blamed China and said that the Chinese vessels "performed a risky manoeuvre" which inflicted "substantial damage" on the Chinese warship's forward deck.

Here is a longer video capturing the collision between the PLA Navy 164 and the China Coast Guard 3104. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has consistently urged the Chinese government to respect the COLREGS and to approach these matters with professionalism, especially considering… https://t.co/n7vcU4lGWq pic.twitter.com/cHU7rG2wAj

— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) August 11, 2025

In a post on X, Terriela said, “The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has consistently urged the Chinese government to respect the COLREGS and to approach these matters with professionalism, especially considering their role in enforcing maritime laws. We have also emphasized that such reckless behaviour at sea could ultimately lead to accidents. Our thoughts are with the CCG personnel who may have been injured in this incident.”

What is the South China Sea issue?

Beijing and Manila’s rivalry in the South China Sea has intensified in recent years, with both sides trading accusations of provocations and confrontations at sea — some reportedly involving weapons like swords, spears, and knives.

At the heart of the tensions lies the Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks that has been a hotspot since China took control in 2012.

The latest incident adds to a series of increasingly dangerous run-ins over the past two years, as both nations push to assert their claims over contested reefs and outcrops.