Chinese ship crashes in showdown with Philippines’ boat in contested waters

Dramatic footage shows two Chinese government ships violently colliding Monday while chasing down a Filipino coast guard vessel in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

A Chinese Coast Guard [CCG] ship was in hot pursuit Monday when it “performed a risky maneuver,” and then violently T-boned a massive Chinese Navy ship also there with it, according to the Philippines Coast Guard [PCG], which shared the footage.

Crews could be heard shouting over the brutal sound of crunching metal, with photos showing the front of the Chinese vessel totally smashed.

The “substantial damage” left the Chinese ship “unseaworthy,” said PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, adding that China declined help for any potential injuries or rescues.,

The wild showdown came about 12 miles from the contested Scarborough Shoal as two Philippines’ vessels were delivery food and food to around 35 Filipino fishing ships, GMANews reported.

Beijing has claimed nearly all of the South China Sea for its own, including area claimed by other neighboring countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia.

China confirmed there was a confrontation between the two countries but did not mention a collision, according to the BBC.

Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that his country would continue to assert its terrotorial claims in the region.

”We will continue to be present. We will continue to defend our territory. We will continue to exercise our sovereign rights. And despite any opposition from anyone, we will continue to do that as we have done in the past three years,” Marcos told reporters at a brief press conference hours after the incident, GMANews reported.

Marcos said that Monday’s altercation was likely the result of comments he made last week when he warned China that the Philippines could be dragged into a conflict between China and the United States over Taiwan.