Five China Coast Guard (CCG) ships entered Manila’s territorial waters on Sunday, during an incident where a Philippine government ship was hit by a Chinese vessel near Thitu Island in the South China Sea, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said on Monday. The Sunday incident was the closest encounter yet between Chinese maritime forces and Philippine vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as a CCG ship rammed a government vessel about 2.8 kilometers away from Thitu. The Philippines maintains a military outpost on Thitu Island in the disputed Spratlys, PCG spokesman Jay Tristan Tarriela told a news briefing.

Basilio, K. C. L. (2025, October 14). Philippines says five Chinese ships entered its EEZ in South China Sea. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.