Philippines says China Coast Guard ship hit vessel near Thitu Island

A CHINESE COAST GUARD ship collided with a Philippine fishery bureau vessel in the waters off Thitu Island in the contested South China Sea on Sunday, Manila’s coast guard said.

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The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels carried out “dangerous and provocative maneuvers” against Philippine government ships near Thitu Island, where Manila keeps a military outpost in the disputed Spratly Islands.

Shortly after, a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel fired a water cannon at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) BRP Datu Pagbuaya before ramming it, causing minor structural damage but no injuries, the PCG said.

“The harassment we faced today only strengthens our resolve,” PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L. Gavan said in the statement. “Filipino fisherfolk depend on these waters, and neither water cannons nor ramming will deter us.”

Manila’s National Maritime Council said Chinese maritime forces conducted “illegal and reckless actions.”

The incident caused minor structural damage to the Philippine ship but no injuries, it said, adding that it would take diplomatic action in response.

“The proximity of CCG’s illegal and reckless actions to Pag-asa Island is of grave concern to the Philippines,” it said in a statement.

US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay L. Carlson condemned the incident in a post on social media platform X, describing it as a “dangerous ramming” and “aggressive actions” by Beijing that violate international law.

A CCG official said its vessel took “necessary control measures” to expel Philippine ships that it accused of intruding into waters of the disputed Sandy Cay that lies near Thitu Island, adding that its actions were “legitimate and lawful.”