China vessel rams and damages Philippine fishing boat, Coast Guard says

A China Coast Guard vessel rammed a Philippine ​fishing boat on a resupply mission ‌in the South China Sea on ​Friday (September 18, 2026), the Philippine Coast Guard ⁠said, damaging its railings and deck structures in the latest confrontation between the two countries ‌in disputed waters.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ‌vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat was ‌on ⁠a mission to distribute fuel assistance ⁠to Filipino fishermen about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan province when a ​China Coast ‌Guard vessel carried out a series of dangerous manoeuvres and made contact with the Philippine ship, the Coast Guard ‌said.

“The China Coast Guard deliberately ​rammed a civilian government vessel on a humanitarian and livelihood ⁠mission,” it said in a statement.