Chinese Warships Risk Collision With Philippine Navy Near Disputed Shoal

Vessel — Screengrab from Facebook video posted by AFP

During a routine patrol on May 5, 2025, the Philippine Navy’s BRP Emilio Jacinto was dangerously approached by two Chinese warships and a China Coast Guard vessel.

The incident occurred around 11.8 nautical miles southeast of Scarborough Shoal, an area within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) but claimed by China.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Navy ship was operating alongside vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources at the time.

During this mission, two Chinese Jiangkai II-class frigates-identified by bow numbers 554 and 573- along with a China Coast Guard ship (bow number 5403), maneuvered close to the BRP Emilio Jacinto in what were described as “threatening and provocative” actions.

Military reports revealed that one of the Chinese frigates, BN 573, dangerously cut across the bow of the BRP Emilio Jacinto at a very short distance, raising the risk of collision.

The second frigate, BN 554, closely tailed the Philippine vessel. The coast guard ship also attempted to block the Jacinto’s navigational path.

Officials stated that one of the warships passed approximately 180 meters in front of the Philippine ship, leaving almost no space for emergency maneuvers. Another Chinese vessels came within 100 meters of the Jacinto.

The Philippine military strongly condemned the encounter, saying such moves violated international maritime laws, specifically the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).

The AFP said the actions of the Chinese forces posed a direct threat to the safety of navigation. Despite the close-range interference, the BRP Emilio Jacinto completed its patrol without any damage or injuries.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the last such close confrontation happened two years ago during a resupply mission in the South China Sea.

Manila’s National Maritime Council representative, Alexander Lopez, also raised concern about how dangerously close the Chinese ships had gotten, saying they left no room for safety maneuvers.

China, which claims nearly the entire South China Sea under its controversial “nine-dash line” theory, has rejected a 2016 international ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated its sweeping maritime claims.

Chinese military officials, however, insisted that their forces acted to “effectively stop” what they labeled as a Philippine “incursion” into what China sees as its territory.

This encounter took place during the ongoing Balikatan joint military drills between the United States and the Philippines, which China has previously criticised as destabilising.

The annual exercises, which began in April and included over 14,000 troops, wrapped up on May 9. This year’s version simulated a full-scale battle scenario, with participation from Australian forces and Japan’s Self Defense Force in maritime security operations off Palawan.

The Balikatan activities included air and missile defense, maritime strike training, and amphibious landing exercises. A friendly marksmanship competition was held at Camp Aguinaldo before the official closing, designed to build camaraderie among U.S. and Filipino troops.

Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted its first-ever Leadership and Management School (LAMS) in Southeast Asia. The course was hosted at the Philippine Coast Guard’s training center in Bulacan and involved 43 PCG members.

This latest naval confrontation comes less than a year after another violent incident in June 2024, when Chinese coast guard personnel allegedly used knives, sticks, and an axe to stop Philippine troops from resupplying forces at the Second Thomas Shoal. A Filipino sailor lost a thumb during that altercation.

Reference: straitstimes, philstar

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