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A Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea. 

The crew of the Philippine patrol boat filmed the moment the smaller Chinese coast guard ship and the larger navy vessel collided head-on, with a large bang being heard as the ships make impact. 

The Philippine coast guard said the collision happened near the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed collection of reefs and rocks in prime fishing grounds where their vessels had been deployed to help Filipino fishermen. China seized control of the shoal in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in 2012.

The crash is the latest in a series of confrontations in the South China Sea, one of the most important shipping routes for global trade. Several countries lay claim to parts of the waterway, but China claims nearly all of it despite a 2016 UN tribunal challenging their claim. 

The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese coast guard vessel was chasing their BRP Suluan “at high speed” and “performed a risky maneuver”, “leading to impact” with the Chinese navy warship. 

The Chinese coast guard boat sustained “substantial damage… rendering it unseaworthy”, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

Gan Yu, a Chinese coast guard spokesperson, confirmed that a confrontation had taken place but did not mention the collision. He said the coast guard intercepted the Philippine vessels after they ignored warnings.

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