The South China Sea continues to be a flash point of great power rivalry after a recent near collision between two Chinese navy ships. Ships attempted to ram a Philippine coast-guard ship. This latest episode played out around Scarborough Shoal, one of the world’s most essential maritime thoroughfares. In response to the fluid and dangerous situation, the United States has moved two warships to the region. They seek to reinforce freedom of navigation and to dispute China’s extensive claims over the waters.
What happened was that the Chinese navy destroyer collided with a Chinese coastguard ship. The incident happened nearly 10.5 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal. According to reports, one of the Chinese ships was heavily damaged. Its hull is now riddled with sandblasted pockmarks, deep dents and linear gashes. Japan, Australia, and New Zealand moved quickly to condemn the attack. They stressed how dangerous maneuvers resulted in the collision.
China claims rights to almost all of the South China Sea. It further requires that foreign vessels with activities in these waters give advance entry notice. This extension of territorial claims has created a number of flashpoints between China and its neighbors. The Philippines, most notably, claims sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal and other surrounding outcroppings as well. Her testimony underscored that the United States is still intent on defending the Philippines. This commitment would extend to any further armed attacks in the region.
In reaction to these recent activities, the US Navy conducted FONOPS voyages and overflights in the South China Sea. The joint operations, which included the USS Higgins, a guided missile destroyer, and the USS Cincinnati, a littoral combat ship, took place only around 30 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal. All the while, a Chinese navy vessel trailed their every move.
Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard remarked on the situation, stating, “This is a learning experience for the People’s Republic of China.” He added that the incident underscores the necessity for China to cease dangerous maneuvers that could lead to further collisions.
“For so many years, we have been reminding them to stop dangerous maneuvers, to stop risky blockings, to adhere to the [anti-]collision regulations because if there is a very high chance of miscalculation, this kind of collision incident would happen.” – Commodore Jay Tarriela
Along with the US reaction, Japan has raised its alarm on China’s approach to the region. Endo Kazuya of Japan stated, “Japan upholds the rule of law and opposes any actions which increase tensions. Our concern goes to the repeated actions in the South China Sea.” Similarly, an Australian embassy statement highlighted “the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal involving the Philippine Coast Guard,” emphasizing the need for de-escalation and respect for international law.
The issue is still playing out on the world stage today as fear and anger mounts over conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea. In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan assert overlapping claims in these contested waters.
Military and NGO personnel from different countries are operating in close quarters. Ukraine and the US share the wariness of international observers about possible miscalculations that could lead to serious confrontation. The recent collision has been a jarring reminder of how tenuous the peace can be in this essential strategic region.