China confirms 2 sailors died in 2025 South China Sea collision

Beijing has quietly confirmed the deaths of two Chinese sailors in a collision in the contested South China Sea, according to government statements nearly a year after the incident. This handout video grab released and taken on August 11, 2025 by the Philippine Coast Guard shows an incident between a Chinese Navy vessel (L) and a Chinese Coast Guard ship (R). Photo by Handout/Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Last August, a Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near a disputed shoal, video footage released by Manila showed. A Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed at the time that there had been a confrontation, but did not mention the collision, nor injuries or deaths. The People’s Armed Police Force said on social media Wednesday it had awarded four “martyrs” — including Coast Guard sailors Yi Xinyu and Cheng Long — a special title for “steadfast political convictions, exemplary deeds and outstanding achievements”. Here is a longer video capturing the collision between the PLA Navy 164 and the China Coast Guard 3104. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has consistently urged the Chinese government to respect the COLREGS and to approach these matters with professionalism, especially considering… https://t.co/n7vcU4lGWq pic.twitter.com/cHU7rG2wAj— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) August 11, 2025 Yi and Cheng both died on August 11, 2025 — the date of last year’s collision — in a “rights defense operation”, according to their profiles on the government’s “China Martyrs Network”. “Yi sacrificed his life… while participating in a frontline rights defense operation in the South China Sea,” according to the website. Cheng “heroically sacrificed his life during a maritime rights defense operation”, the website reads. Territorial claims in the South China Sea. Photo: Wikicommons. It is not clear when the sailors were given the designation of “martyr”, which awards their families special housing and medical support among other aid. Yi was 21 years old at the time of his death, and Cheng was 25, according to their profiles on the website. Territorial disputes have seen China and the Philippines clash repeatedly in the South China Sea, almost all of which Beijing claims as its territory. Filipino and Chinese sailors clashed again in the disputed waters in July in what was their first serious encounter in months and saw both sides summon each other’s ambassadors. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Dateline:Beijing, China Type of Story: News ServiceProduced externally by an organization we trust to adhere to high journalistic standards. Agence France-Press (AFP) is "a leading global news agency providing fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the events shaping our world and of the issues affecting our daily lives." HKFP relies on AFP, and its international bureaus, to cover topics we cannot. Read their Ethics Code here More by AFP