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Manila announced that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel collided with a Philippine Fisheries Management Administration boat on Friday morning in waters of the South China Sea.
The incident occurred near shallow waters in the Spratly Islands, a fish-rich area that has seen violent confrontations with Chinese Coast Guard vessels in recent years.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the Chinese vessel "collided with the BRP Dato Magat Salamat .. while it was on a patrol mission to deliver subsidized fuel to our fishermen"
He added "At 11:04 AM, the Chinese vessel CCG-21585 crossed in front of the stern of a Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Office vessel at a distance of no more than 10 meters"
Nine minutes later, "the Chinese vessel repeated the maneuver, and this time there was contact and the Fisheries Office boat was hit," according to a statement distributed to journalists.
A video released by the Philippine Coast Guard on the X platform shows the Chinese vessel approaching the back of the boat, while a crew member can be heard shouting a warning of 'collision,' although the moment of impact itself is not clearly shown in the clip.
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