On September 16, Chinese and Philippine official vessels collided in the waters near the Rhineland Reef in the South China Sea. The Chinese Maritime Police soon issued a detailed notification and also released a video of the scene, directly pointing out that the responsibility is entirely on the Philippines.
According to the Chinese Maritime Police Office, The place of the thing is the nearby sea of Yellow Island.
At the time, the Chinese Maritime Police vessel was carrying out a cruise mission in accordance with the law, and suddenly encountered the approximation of a Philippine official vessel.The communication mentioned that the Philippine vessels not only ignored multiple warnings from the Chinese side, but also suddenly changed its direction, deliberately colliding with our normal law enforcement vessel.
The video showed that the two ships had a slight collision in a short period of time, and the Chinese shipsined restraint. But the Philippines’ actions are dangerous and clearly provocative.
After the collision, China once again warned through radio screams that the Philippines had eventually evacuated the relevant waters. The entire process actually took a few minutes, but the level of tension was not low. After all, in the disputed waters, the direct contact of the official vessels of the two sides, a little negligence could escalate into a larger conflict.
It is essentially a part of the Chinese Nansha Islands, but the Philippines has long tried to create a real sense of existence of control in ways such as creating another reef illegal beach boat.
China continues to navigate according to law. To prevent any violation by the Philippines of our territorial seas.
The collision occurred in the context of a new round of supply operation for illegal beach boats in the Philippines.
Philippine ships attempted to break through the Chinese defense line and approach Yellow Island, while the Chinese naval police stopped in accordance with the law. Similar drama has actually been played several times in the past few years, but this time the direct collision has indeed made the situation seem more tense.
The interesting thing is, The description of the incident between the two sides is quite divergent.
China's Maritime Police notified the Philippines of "dangerous approach" and "full responsibility", while the Philippines said it was "proactive provocation" and "dangerous interception" by China.
But from the video evidence released by China, the Philippine ships have changed their direction suddenly, and clearly with the intention of testing and pressure.
From Yellowstone Island to Rhineland Reef, from fishermen's disputes to official ships confrontations, the Philippines' aggravation of the situation in the South China Sea can be for almost a period of time.
Why do you always choose it? is not so simple.
Especially at the moment, there are mass protests in the Philippines, economic pressure, people's livelihood problems, etc., and the current government of the Philippines needs to show a tough attitude towards China to shift domestic contradictions.
More importantly, it may be the push of the game of great powers. In recent years, the United States has actively promoted the Indo-Pacific strategy.The Philippines may feel that with the support of the United States, they can have a better backdrop on the South China Sea issue.
No, after the incident, the United States jumped out to express "supporting the Philippines" and also reiterated the applicability of the so-called "Mephi Joint Defense Treaty".
It was a knife for the Philippines.
But the Philippines also has to take the amount of potassium: playing with fire is risky. The South Sea is not a place to go.The Philippine "touch ceramic" navigation seems to be smart, and the reality is short-sighted.
A single collision may not immediately trigger war, but if accumulated, it will only worsen the security environment in the region.
In addition, the Philippines is economically dependent on trade with China, and tourism and agricultural exports are deeply tied to China.
The relationship is really hardened, who is at fault? it is not far from the United States on the other side of the Pacific.
Back to the collision itself. The intentional conflict of the Philippines,It is not excluded to want to make "victim" narratives, to gain international sympathy.But China has released the video, the chain of evidence is complete, instead to make the Philippines seem to be a loss.
This operation of “theft of chickens without eroding rice” will instead make China more determined to defend its rights.
China's reaction on this side, the first time the marine police issued a notification, a video, a clear rule, a clear attitude - the responsibility is in the Philippines, the Chinese side acts in accordance with the law, and is professionally calm.
In the earlier years, China has been a little bit “low” in the South China Sea issue, but now it is increasingly daring to light the sword.
The force of the Maritime Police has been strengthened, the law enforcement measures have been upgraded, and the response of the public opinion has been faster. China’s claim to sovereignty in the South China Sea is no longer spoken, but supported by practical action.
In this incident, the Chinese ships could clearly react more fiercely, but chose restraint and warning. This is an expression of confidence: I don’t need to rely on barbaric force to win you, because law and power are here with me.
In addition, the Chinese side this time emphasized "in accordance with the law" and "professional", in fact, is to seize the high point of morality.
The South China Sea issue is often distorted by Western media internationally as a "China bullying neighbor", but the Chinese side, through the publication of details, instead showed who is the party to truly abide by the rules.
However, we must also think calmly: China is so "just" and does not mean that it wants to make things bigger.
The action of China, It is essentially defensive – safeguarding sovereignty.prevent the Philippines from consolidating its illegal claims.As long as the Philippines does not engage in provocation, the situation is likely to be controlled.
But if the Philippines misjudges the situation, or if the U.S. puts it behind, that risk cannot be ignored.
After all, this shipwreck was not a coincidence, it was a miniature of the long-standing contradiction in the South China Sea. China’s position is clear, the Philippines has a settlement behind it, and the United States is mixing the water – this three-party interaction determines the future direction of the situation.
But the South China Sea issue must ultimately be resolved through dialogue.
Collisions, confrontations, and battle of mouth are only apparent, and what really matters is whether countries can sit down and talk about cooperation, boundaries and crisis management with a pragmatic attitude.
China has always argued for "stopping disputes and joint development", which hasn't changed, but it presupposes that other countries cannot step on the red line.
2025-09-16: Chinese Maritime Police: Philippine vessels ignored warnings of intentional collision with Chinese maritime police vessels