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Manila summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on Wednesday after a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and a China Coast Guard ship collided near Second Thomas Shoal, an incident that threatens to unravel a fragile diplomatic detente reached only weeks ago.The collision, confirmed by both governments but described in starkly different terms, comes days before Manila and Beijing were expected to sign a memorandum of agreement launching joint patrols in the disputed waterway.
Second Thomas Shoal sits 105 nautical miles from the Philippine island of Palawan and well within Manila's 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The Philippines grounded the aging warship BRP Sierra Madre on the reef in 1999 to stake its territorial claim after China seized nearby Mischief Reef four years earlier.
Since then, the rusting hull has become the most contested object in Asian geopolitics. A small contingent of Philippine marines lives aboard it. China surrounds it. Every resupply mission risks confrontation.
The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague struck down China's sweeping historical claims over roughly 80 percent of the South China Sea. Beijing has refused to recognize the decision.
Tensions peaked in June 2024 when Chinese coast guard personnel wielding axes and knives boarded Philippine Navy inflatable boats during a resupply run. Eight Filipino sailors were injured. One lost his right thumb.
A provisional arrangement reached in July 2024 briefly lowered temperatures. By February 2026, the two sides had announced what diplomats called a breakthrough: a planned memorandum of agreement for joint coast guard patrols, search-and-rescue operations, and environmental monitoring set to begin in late March.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the collision occurred at approximately 0630 local time when the PCG vessel BRP Bagacay was conducting a routine sovereignty patrol 12 nautical miles northeast of Second Thomas Shoal. A China Coast Guard cutter crossed its bow at close range, striking the starboard hull.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano described the incident as "a deliberate provocation that undermines weeks of careful diplomacy." Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Manila had activated consultations with Washington under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
Beijing offered a sharply different account. China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said the Philippine vessel "intruded" into waters China claims and "changed course suddenly," making the contact "entirely the responsibility of the Philippine side." He called China's response "professional and restrained."
For full coverage, visit https://www.linos.ai/world/manila-beijing-south-china-sea-collision/
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