A Chinese destroyer and Coast Guard cutter collided 10.5 nautical miles east of Scarborough Shoal in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone on August 11, resulting in at least four deaths. The incident is the second time China has been embarrassed by the Philippines in these waters.
China’s expansion in the South China Sea began after seizing control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012, following a Philippine Navy warship that caught Chinese ships stealing giant clams and coral heads from the area. This incident marked the beginning of ten years of Chinese dominance in the region.
The latest collision appears to have been ordered by a higher authority, likely the Central Military Commission’s Joint Operations Center, to disrupt the Philippine Coast Guard’s “Kadiwa ng Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” program, which aims to provide food security for fishermen. Analysis of Automatic Identification System data indicates that CCG cutters were assembled around Scarborough Shoal on August 11, and when Philippine CG cutters entered the area, Chinese ships converged on them.
The PLAN guided-missile destroyer Guilin conducted a high-speed pursuit of the Philippine Coast Guard cutter BRP Suluan for over an hour. According to General Romeo Brawner, “Our assessment is that the real objective of the PLA Navy ship was to ram our Philippine Coast Guard vessel.” This assessment is supported by the aggressive operations of both Chinese ships and the fact that they were faster than the Suluan.
China falsely claims Scarborough Shoal has 12-nm territorial water rights, but a 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling rejected this claim. The actions of the Guilin after the collision also suggest that the captains were operating on orders from higher authority, superseding their duty to conduct rescue at sea.
The Central Military Commission will likely investigate the communication and coordination between the CCG and PLAN vessels prior to and during the collision. China is already claiming the collision was the fault of the Philippine Coast Guard.
This incident is a major embarrassment for Beijing, 13 years after the first Scarborough Shoal incident. China will likely use this opportunity to regroup and reassert its presence in the region. The US Pacific Fleet should prepare for a potentially war-ready PLAN, as China deploys an armada of ships to sweep away Philippine vessels and create conditions for building artificial islands.
Source: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/august/scarborough-shoal-incident-20-plan-inches-closer-war