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Footage of the incident released by the Philippines appeared to show that the Chinese coastguard ship 3104 sustained serious damage to its bow after colliding with a larger destroyer, the Guilin.
“I don’t think it’s good to sit still and just get on with business as usual after the collision,” said Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
“I will have to presume that the Chinese maritime forces [the People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard] … will review these collisions and then they will see how best to move in a more coordinated fashion together to avoid this thing.”
The accident happened near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal, which is also claimed by the Philippines and has been the scene of numerous stand-offs between the two countries.
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The video footage suggested the Chinese cutter was chasing a Philippine coastguard ship and firing water cannons when the Guilin cut across their paths and crashed into the bow of the 3104.
