A China Coast Guard vessel was pursuing the BRP Suluan at a high speed per Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela when the PLA Navy ship Guilin, a 7,500-ton Type 052D destroyer commissioned in 2021, came close and carried out an extremely dangerous manoeuvre that led to serious damage to the bow of CG-16, making it unseaworthy. Chinese ships rammed a Filipino patrol boat, as shown in this video. No deaths have been reported.
Unusual Deployment and 'Overkill' Allegations
Beijing insists its ships were protecting Chinese sovereign waters in almost the entire South China Sea, saying Manila was invading its sea territory and endangering peace and stability. While Scarborough Shoal is in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, China seized effective control of it five years ago following a three-month standoff when the Philippine government tried to arrest Chinese fishermen for illegal fishing.
Analysts said the incident was a huge embarrassment for China, and things could have been much worse if the destroyer had ended up smashing into the Filipino craft, causing casualties or even sinking it. Experts had said such an incident could have invoked a US-Philippines mutual defence treaty.
Critics lambasted the use of the high-end destroyer as "overkill" for what is a law enforcement mission. The Type 052D destroyers are equipped with highly advanced missile systems for engaging air, sea and land targets while serving in a carrier strike group rather than cloak-and-dagger tactics with littoral warfare vessels.
Escalation Risks in Contested Waters
Observers who analysed the video footage said the Chinese vessels seemed to be trying to box in the Philippine cutter — a manoeuvre that demands close coordination. Instead, the dangerous move damaged one of their vessels. Maritime analysts said it was unprofessional, aggressive and showed a "lack of basic seamanship," highlighting the risks of miscalculation in the disputed waters.
The encounter is the latest reminder of China's more muscular approach in regional waters. Observers also theorised that the crash could have been caused by a PLA navy captain being needlessly aggressive in a culture of rewards. The report of the skirmish highlights how rapidly situations can escalate toward potential conflict in the disputed waters, as China had sent at least seven Coast Guard ships and 14 maritime militia vessels to the area against just four Philippine ships.
