Collision at Scarborough: When China’s Navy Clipped Its Own Coast Guard
Tuesday Stirred by Self-Inflicted Blow 180 Nautical Miles West of Luzon
Location: Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea
Cast: Philippine patrol craft BRP Cabra, Chinese Coast Guard cutter CCG-3104, PLA-N destroyer Guilin (hull 164)
Plot twist: The pursuer ended up rear-ending its warship escort.
Sequence of Events Captured on Video
- 06:14 local time: CCG-3104 gives chase to Cabra, zigzagging at over 20 knots.
- 06:16: Guilin dashes in from starboard, blocking the cutter’s line.
- 06:16:07: Bow of CCG-3104 crunches into the destroyer’s port quarter; metal screams amid a plume of black smoke.
- 06:17: Cabra slips away, supplies for Filipino fishermen still safe aboard.
Damage Report
- Chinese Navy: No official tally released. Manila says impact “significant” near helicopter deck.
- Chinese Coast Guard: Port bow visibly dented, railing twisted like paper clips.
- Philippine Forces: Zero casualties, vessel unscathed.
Manila Stays on Script—Offers Help Anyway
Despite being harassed moments earlier, BRP Cabra slowed to broadcast an offer of medical aid.
“Our crew is trained to save lives first, then take names,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Jay Tarriela told reporters.
No response was heard from the stricken Chinese flotilla.
Two Narratives, One Frame
Background Scrapbook
Eyes on the Water
With radio traffic already crackling about the next rotation of Philippine supply boats, skippers across Southeast Asia will be watching to see whether Monday’s embarrassment tempers Beijing’s game—or simply hardens it.
Scar Tissue on the High Seas – Collision at Scarborough
Fresh Scars Off Scarborough Shoal
August 11, 2025 – Dawn above the aquamarine expanse west of Luzon was broken by the screech of metal on metal. According to imagery released by the Philippine Coast Guard, a China Coast Guard cutter clipped the starboard quarter of a People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate, both vessels locked in a high-speed pursuit of a lone Philippine fisheries patrol craft. The incident occurred well within the nine-dash line but barely 100 nautical miles from the nearest Philippine soil.
The Sequence Seen from the Sky
- A Philippine fisheries vessel approached traditional grounds near Scarborough Shoal.
- At least two Chinese assets—one white-hulled (Coast Guard), one grey (Navy)—began shadowing and eventually overtaking the Filipinos.
- A sharp turn to starboard sent the white hull against the grey; the cutter’s bow crumpled above the waterline, smoke billowing.
- The Filipino skipper reversed engines and peeled away while both Chinese ships slowed to assess damage.
Deja Vu from Last Autumn
This summer bump comes almost to the day before the first anniversary of a similar clash captured by “60 Minutes” cameras in September 2024. During last year’s resupply sortie:
- A Philippine BRP vessel was encircled by more than half a dozen Chinese Coast Guard ships.
- The lead Chinese hull repeatedly rammed the lighter Philippine craft, snapping railings and puncturing a ballast tank.
- Faced with flooding risk, Manila aborted the first leg of its supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal and limped back to Palawan.
Behind the Paint & Steel
The latest scrape reveals a pattern: maritime grey and white patrols operating in choreographed yet unpredictable unison.
Analysts note:
- Beijing appears to rotate between its uniformed services to blur rules of engagement.
- Coast Guard ships deliberately maneuver within 100 m, forcing slower Philippine hulls into evasive actions.
- When navy escorts are present, the smaller cutters feel emboldened to push harder, banking on the larger grey hull to shield any fallout.
Why Scarborough Still Twitches Fingers
Strategically shaped like a submerged horse’s collar, Scarborough Shoal lies at the junction of Manila’s 200-nm Exclusive Economic Zone and Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims. Fish, guano, and—farther down—subsea oil blur the line between livelihood and sovereignty.
Next Moves in the Swell
The Philippine side has pledged to file the incident report through an already-pending tribunal brief. Meanwhile, radio recordings captured a Chinese commander warning nearby merchant traffic to respect “temporary security zones.”
Out here, every echo of metal against metal reverberates across capitals farther north, south, east—and west.
