Chinese Fishing Vessel Runs Aground Near Pag-asa Island Amid Bad Weather
Pag-asa Island, West Philippine Sea — June 8, 2025
A Chinese fishing vessel ran aground in waters east of Pag-asa Island on Saturday afternoon, June 7, amid rough weather conditions over the West Philippine Sea. The incident triggered a prompt but cautious response from Philippine authorities and sparked fresh concerns over the presence of suspected Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area.
The grounding was first reported by residents of Pag-asa Island, a Filipino-occupied feature in the Spratly Islands that serves as the farthest-flung outpost with a permanent civilian population in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel stationed on the island responded to the incident at approximately 3:00 p.m. after receiving alerts from local sources.
According to Captain Ellaine Collado, chief of the Public Affairs Office of the Western Naval Command, the PCG deployed personnel to inspect the grounded vessel, while Philippine Navy personnel aboard the BRP Andres Bonifacio were placed on standby in case additional support was needed.
“Ang intensyon ng AFP ay magbigay ng tulong kung kinakailangan [The intention of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is to provide assistance if needed],” Collado said in an interview late Saturday evening aboard the BRP Andres Bonifacio. She confirmed that bad weather conditions prevailed around the island at the time of the incident, likely contributing to the vessel’s temporary stranding.
By around 4:30 p.m., Philippine authorities reported that the vessel had managed to refloat itself without assistance from Philippine personnel. However, Pag-asa Island Councilor Maurice Phillip Albayda said in a Sunday interview that residents observed the stranded boat remaining near the reef until around 5:30 p.m.
Albayda cited accounts from locals who witnessed two other vessels, also believed to be Chinese fishing boats, towing the grounded ship away from the shallow reef. “According to our residents, two Chinese fishing vessels helped in pulling the grounded vessel free,” he said.
Philippine authorities did not release the bow number or name of the vessel, nor did they confirm the identities of the assisting boats. However, they noted the ship’s profile resembled that of vessels commonly seen operating in tandem with China Coast Guard ships in the disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea.
Maritime security experts and Philippine defense officials have long regarded such vessels as part of China’s so-called Maritime Militia — fishing boats with military links used to assert China’s claims and conduct surveillance and influence operations in contested waters.
While the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard maintained a defensive and humanitarian posture during the incident, their presence served as a firm reminder of the ongoing tensions and territorial disputes in the region.
The incident occurred in a geopolitically sensitive area that has seen an uptick in maritime encounters between China and the Philippines in recent years, particularly as Manila continues to assert its sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea.
Neither the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nor the PCG confirmed the exact time the vessel ran aground, and both refrained from making definitive statements about the ship’s affiliation.
Still, officials underscored the importance of their role in monitoring activities in the area. “We remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding our maritime domain while upholding international law,” Captain Collado emphasized.
The brief grounding episode has once again drawn attention to the murky maritime presence of suspected Chinese militia vessels near Philippine-held features and highlighted the persistent risk of escalation in one of the world’s most contested maritime zones.
No injuries or damage were reported as a result of the incident, and the Chinese vessels had left the vicinity by Saturday evening, according to local sources.
