MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coast guard vessel while pursuing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea on Monday. The incident occurred near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, as the Philippine Coast Guard was escorting boats delivering aid to local fishermen, according to spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela.

Dramatic video footage released by Manila shows a China Coast Guard ship colliding with a larger vessel marked with the number 164. The collision produced a loud crash, and subsequent images revealed the damaged Chinese vessel still afloat but with its bow severely crumpled.

Tarriela explained that the China Coast Guard vessel, identified as CCG 3104, was chasing the Philippine vessel BRP Suluan at high speed. The CCG 3104 executed a risky maneuver from the starboard side of the Philippine vessel, leading to the collision with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warship. "This resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel’s forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy," he stated.

During a later press briefing, Tarriela noted that crew members were visible on the front section of the smaller Chinese vessel just before the crash. "We’re not sure whether they were able to rescue those personnel who were in front prior to the collision. But we are hoping that these personnel are in good condition," he said. He also mentioned that the Chinese crew did not respond to offers of assistance from the Philippine ship.

A spokesperson for the Chinese coast guard, Gan Yu, confirmed that a confrontation occurred but did not address the collision directly. "The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away," he stated.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm or deny the collision when asked for comment. This incident adds to a series of confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, a region that China claims almost entirely, despite an international ruling stating that such claims lack legal basis. The South China Sea is a critical waterway, with over 60 percent of global maritime trade passing through it.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos addressed the situation at a morning news conference, stating that the country’s patrol vessels would "continue to be present" in the area to assert Manila’s sovereign rights over what it considers its territory. The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks, has been a point of contention between the two nations since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.

Earlier in the encounter, the BRP Suluan was reportedly targeted with a water cannon by the Chinese but managed to evade the attack successfully, according to Tarriela.