On September 10, 2025, the Chinese State Council approved the plan to establish a national nature reserve on the island of Yellowstone, and the news came out that the Philippines could not sit there. The Coast Guard hurriedly sent the ship to pass, BRP Cape San Agustin the ship departed from the port of Manila and headed straight to Yellowstone. The duty of the officers on the ship was to monitor the movement of China and by the way challenge each other's existence. As a result, in a few days, a hard fist was struck. The Chinese Coast Guard's CCG 5201 ship came out, blocked directly in front.
Both ships hid, the Philippine ship wanted to move around, the Chinese ship started water cannon, high-pressure water columns sprinkle, hit the Philippine ship's right corner and trembled. The ship's body scratched, the glass broke the ground, the equipment was also affected. The captain looked at the momentum was not right, promptly ordered the slowdown, the officers pulled out the white cloth bonded on the banner from the cabinet, high-heighted with the indication stop. The Chinese ship's cannon pressure slowed, the Philippine ship dropped the head. This happened on September 16, at 9 o'clock, lasted more than twenty minutes, the water cannon spray time was enough for ten minutes, the collision was also a real gun. The ship returned to the port took two days, the
This is not the first time. In recent years in the South China Sea, the collision between Chinese and Philippine ships has never stopped. Take 2024 as an example. On August 19, two Philippine coast guard ships were hit by Chinese ships near Sabina Reef. The bows of the ships were deformed and the thrusters broke. The Chinese side said that the Philippine ship picked trouble first, and the Philippines bitten back and said that the Chinese ship deliberately collided. On December 4th, another water cannon spray and side collision caused a Philippine patrol boat to be blocked on the supply road of Renai Reef. On March 6th, the Philippine ship entered the disputed waters, and the Chinese fleet surrounded it, giving an overwhelming advantage in numbers.
On February 12, the BRP Cabra ship succeeded in evicting a Chinese ship, but it was the Chinese ship 3304, a much larger tonnage. On August 31, the two sides were again intertwined, who hit whose responsibilities each said different things. These things were stacked together, and the defeat of Yellow Island in September was eye-catching. The video of the Philippine ship waving the white flag was released by the Chinese Coast Guard, CNA, 103K views, the picture of the Philippine crew wearing white clothes and the Chinese ship keeping a distance of observation. On Reddit, someone discussed that the white flag on the sea was a rescue signal, but the Chinese media directly interpreted it as forgiveness.
After the defeat, the high-ranking attitude of the Philippine military has changed. In the past few years, they have always loved to speak out in the media and shout "move when necessary", especially after the South China Sea patrol, General Chief of Staff Romeo Brown said the same thing. In 2024, the supply of reefs was blocked, and he openly stated to strengthen defence, suggesting military options on the table. Coast Guard Commander Ronnie Gavan also followed up, pushing for new vessels and emphasizing law enforcement.
More than half a month after the September 16 incident, on October 3, Brauner spoke at a press conference. He said bluntly that the Philippines is closely monitoring China's actions on Scarborough Island and will protest through diplomatic channels once construction starts. The focus was on Meiji Reef, one of the three largest islands in Nansha, saying that Huangyan Island should not be allowed to repeat the same mistakes. In Meiji Reef, China built tall houses in the 1990s to serve as shelters for fishermen. During the South China Sea crisis in the 2010s, land was reclaimed and airports and docks were built. Now these facilities give China a much better patrol ability on Renai Reef. Brauner did not mention military means in his words, and the slogan of "use of force" that he used to talk about was completely lost. The same was true for Gavin. When the reporter asked the Coast Guard what to do next, he directly pushed it to the National Maritime Commission, saying that such matters would require a reply from a higher-level agency. Both men's statements centered around law enforcement and diplomacy, and their military signs were put away.
Why did you change your mind so quickly? To put it bluntly, the strength comparison is there. Huangyan Island is only more than 200 kilometers away from Luzon Island and more than 300 kilometers away from Manila. If China really reclaims the sea and builds land, it can keep an eye on the movements of the Philippines 'sea and air. If long-range weapons or fighter jets are deployed, Manila will go directly into the deterrent range. China's reserve announcement on September 10 did not include the entire Huangyan Island. The areas where low tide outcrops in Beiyan were left out, which is just suitable for reclamation. In the eyes of the Philippines, this is obviously learning from the Meiji Reef model and occupying it first and then building it. On October 1, 2025, the China Coast Guard also raised the national flag near Huangyan Island. The National Day ceremony was lively and the video spread throughout social media. AP News reported that on social platforms, China crew members pulled ropes to raise the flag, with reef waves in the background. The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement emphasizing sovereignty. The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested on October 3, saying it was an "occupation excuse." However, despite protests, the military did not dare to force it. Browner emphasized surveillance at the Oct. 3 meeting, but diplomacy was the only option left. Gavan's response is the same, limiting conflicts in the field of law enforcement and not mentioning direct confrontation.
In the 1970s, Iceland and Britain fought the shark war, when the island Coast Guard cut the British fishing net, drove the trawler, but did not upgrade to fire. The Philippines now also wanted to put the frenzy frame on the law enforcement level, on the one hand to avoid the big conflict, on the other hand to pull the external forces underwater. On October 5, the U.S. Senate’s 12 members welcomed the S.Res.409 resolution, reaffirming the 1951 U.S. Joint Defense Treaty, covering the armed attacks on Philippine ships in the South China Sea. Members of parliament read the documents in the committee, emphasizing the U.S. Council’s action. Philippine National Security Adviser Edward Arnold welcomed, saying this proves that the world is