A Chinese coast-guard cutter and a PLA Navy guided-missile destroyer slammed into one another on Monday while both were chasing a Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat near Scarborough Shoal, according to video and statements released by Manila. The collision, about 10 nautical miles east of the disputed reef, left the cutter CCG 3104’s bow crumpled and the vessel reportedly unseaworthy; the larger destroyer, hull number 164, appeared to suffer lesser damage. Philippine officials said the BRP Suluan had been escorting supply boats for local fishermen when it was harassed with water-cannon blasts and dangerous blocking manoeuvres. Footage showed the coast-guard ship accelerating past Suluan before striking the Chinese warship that had maneuvered between the two craft. Manila said its crew offered search-and-rescue assistance, which received no response from the Chinese side. Beijing has not confirmed the collision. The China Coast Guard said only that it had taken “professional, standardised” steps to expel Philippine vessels it accused of illegally entering waters around Huangyan Dao, the Chinese name for the shoal. State media repeated Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over the reef, which lies inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and was the subject of a 2016 international ruling that rejected China’s sweeping maritime claims. The maritime mishap came hours after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated that the Philippines would be drawn “kicking and screaming” into any conflict over Taiwan because of geographical proximity and the large Filipino community on the island. Marcos later said Beijing had “misinterpreted” his remarks, but Chinese state outlets described them as provocative, underscoring the heightened friction between the two nations. Monday’s collision is the latest in a series of confrontations around Scarborough Shoal, a flashpoint on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. While no injuries have been confirmed, the incident underlines the risk of miscalculation as Chinese vessels intensify efforts to enforce disputed claims and Manila pledges to maintain a regular presence to assert its sovereign rights.