China and Philippines trade blame after coast guard vessels collide off Palawan

A Chinese coast guard ship has rammed a Philippine fisheries patrol vessel delivering fuel to fishermen in the disputed South China Sea, sparking fresh diplomatic hostility between Manila and Beijing.

The collision happened at 11:13 am local time on Friday, 18 September 2026, roughly 100 kilometres (54 nautical miles) off the coast of Palawan province. Both nations quickly blamed each other for the impact, which damaged the Philippine vessel but left its crew uninjured.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat was on a humanitarian mission near Abad Santos Shoal when Chinese coast guard ship CCG-21585 began making dangerous manoeuvres.

Philippine officials said the Chinese vessel first cut across the stern of the Datu Magat Salamat at 11:04 am, coming within 10 metres of its hull. Nine minutes later, the Chinese ship allegedly repeated the manoeuvre, deliberately striking the starboard side of the Philippine boat. Video released by Manila showed crew members shouting "brace for impact!" moments before the collision.

The impact tore away and bent the ship's main railings, deformed its metal support stanchions, and scattered broken deck equipment across the vessel.

Beijing presented a completely different version of events. Jiang Lue, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said the collision occurred near what China calls Xianbin Jiao (Sabina Shoal). He claimed the Philippine vessel deliberately changed course and accelerated to cut diagonally across the bow of the Chinese ship, which he identified as the Sanzhou'ao.

Jiang said the Chinese crew acted professionally and lawfully, adding that the responsibility for the incident "lies entirely with the Philippine side." He warned Manila to stop "all acts of infringement and provocation" or face the consequences.

Following the collision, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, the Philippine Coast Guard Commandant, ordered air and sea assets to the area to assist the damaged vessel and protect its crew.

The collision comes immediately after a difficult week for the Datu Magat Salamat. The vessel had only just been pulled free on Thursday after running aground at Hasa-Hasa Shoal. During that salvage operation, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese military aircraft conducted aerial surveillance overhead.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent encounters in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims almost total sovereignty despite a 2016 international arbitral ruling that declared its expansive claims had no legal basis. In July, Manila accused Chinese forces of firing water cannons at government boats near Scarborough Shoal and striking a Philippine Navy sailor with a wooden baton at Second Thomas Shoal.