First Chinese harassment incident of 2026 in Phl waters logged at Scarborough Shoal

Philippine authorities on Tuesday confirmed the first recorded harassment incident of 2026 involving Chinese forces in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), after a Filipino fishing boat was subjected to aggressive maneuvers near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the fishing boat FFB Prince LJ was harassed by a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel while heading to its fishing grounds west of Bajo de Masinloc on 12 January.

“This is the first harassment incident in the year 2026,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, also confirmed in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

According to the PCG, the CCG ship with hull number 23521, accompanied by a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel 621, approached within 30 meters of the fishing boat about 16 nautical miles southeast of Panatag Shoal, repeatedly blaring its sirens and blocking the boat’s path.

“The fishing boat’s captain changed course to the southeast to evade the vessels but reported being closely trailed by the China Coast Guard ship,” Tarriela told reporters in a Viber message. 

PCG intervention

The PCG swiftly deployed its multirole response vessel BRP Cape San Agustin (MRRV-4408), which rendezvoused with FFB Prince LJ at around 3:48 p.m. 

The fishing boat’s captain boarded the Coast Guard vessel shortly after, received medical attention, and gave a detailed account of the encounter.

PCG personnel also documented the incident, capturing photographs and video footage of what the agency described as dangerous and aggressive maneuvers by the Chinese vessels.

As part of its assistance, the Coast Guard transferred 10 containers of diesel fuel to the fishing boat, allowing it to continue its fishing operations. 

The captain returned to his vessel at around 5:02 p.m., after which Prince LJ resumed its course toward its intended fishing area.

Long-standing tensions

China has effectively controlled Panatag Shoal since 2012, enforcing what maritime experts describe as an “exclusion zone” that has restricted access by Filipino fisherfolk.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea through its so-called “10-dash line”, a claim invalidated by an international arbitral tribunal in 2016 following a case filed by the Philippines. 

The ruling affirmed Manila’s sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone and declared Panatag Shoal a traditional fishing ground for fishermen from the Philippines, China, and Vietnam.

China has refused to recognize the ruling and has continued to assert its presence in the area. One of the most notable incidents occurred on 11 August 2025, when a Chinese coast guard vessel collided with a Chinese navy warship near the shoal.