China coast guard deliberately rams Philippine fisheries vessel carrying fuel aid to fishermen, video shows
From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026 · last updated 20 September 2026.
China's coast guard vessel CCG-21585 moments after ramming the Philippine fisheries ship BRP Datu Magat Salamat near Sabina Shoal, bending and breaking starboard railings during what the US has condemned as a deliberate…
Chinese coast guard vessel CCG-21585 struck the starboard side of Philippine fisheries ship BRP Datu Magat Salamat at approximately 11:13 a.m. on Friday, 54 nautical miles off Palawan, well within Manila's exclusive economic zone. The Philippine Coast Guard released video of the collision and called it a deliberate attack on a civilian vessel that had been bringing subsidised fuel out to Filipino fishermen. Beijing rejected the account, saying the Philippine crew had altered course and accelerated into the path of its ship.
Railings were bent, broken and detached, metal stanchions deformed, and debris scattered across the deck — though no crew injuries were reported.
The Philippine National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea condemned the ramming as a 'serious breach' of international maritime law, including UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award affirming Philippine sovereign rights.
The incident follows a July encounter in which Beijing was accused of firing water cannon at Philippine vessels and striking a navy crew member on the head with a wooden baton.
