Philippine cargo ship failed to ram the Huangyan Island, 21 people fell into the water and were in life-threatening condition, Chinese Coast Guard came to their rescue!

On January 23, 2026, a Philippine-registered cargo ship forcibly entered the waters near Huangyan Island. Unexpectedly, it capsized, and all 21 crew members on board fell into the water. Upon receiving the report, the Chinese Coast Guard quickly responded, dispatching two vessels to the scene. By 6 p.m. that day, 17 people had been successfully rescued, of whom 15 were in stable condition and 2 had unfortunately died, while the remaining 4 were still under search and rescue.

According to international maritime conventions, normal commercial routes rarely approach Huangyan Island — this area is not a main shipping lane, and it is filled with reefs and complex hydrological conditions, so large ships usually take detours to avoid risks. Therefore, a fully loaded cargo ship appearing so close to Huangyan Island raises questions — was it attempting to reenact the Scarborough Shoal grounding incident?

It is worth noting that after being rescued, the Philippine crew surprisingly praised the Chinese Coast Guard and even gave them a thumbs-up.

Even more noteworthy is that the ship entered this high-risk area during winter, when bad sea conditions warnings were frequent. Whether its navigation plan was compliant and whether it had the necessary seaworthiness will become key points in the subsequent investigation.

Regardless of the motive, after the accident occurred, the Chinese rescue efforts showed no hesitation. The Chinese Coast Guard immediately activated the emergency mechanism upon receiving the distress call and carried out intense search and rescue operations despite the stormy weather. This rapid response was not accidental.

From the outcome, the Philippines' "ramming" attempt did not succeed. If the ship indeed had the intention to ground, then its strategy clearly failed — it not only failed to create a public relations event of "China expelling civilians," but also suffered a shipwreck and loss of life due to its own operational mistakes, while China's humanitarian rescue highlighted the image of a responsible major power.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855163329894505/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.