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China confirms 2 deaths in Scarborough Shoal crash during Philippine ship chase

China honoured two coastguard personnel who died in a vessel collision in the South China Sea last year, state media reported on Thursday, marking the…

By Samantha Johnson / August 6, 2026
China honoured two coastguard personnel who died in a vessel collision in the South China Sea last year, state media reported on Thursday, marking the first official confirmation that the incident resulted in fatalities.

The People’s Armed Police (PAP) on Thursday announced the latest recipients of its “Loyal Guards of the Chinese People’s Armed Police” honour. Among the four posthumous awardees were Yi Xinyu and Cheng Long, two China Coast Guard officers. They died during a “maritime rights protection operation in the South China Sea on August 11, 2025”, according to state media and China’s official martyr registry.

On that day, the China Coast Guard cutter Nanyu collided with the Guilin, a Chinese Navy Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, while manoeuvring to chase Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Suluan near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a contested group of low-lying rocky islets known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.
Yi Xinyu (left) and Cheng Long (right) have been posthumously recognised by the People’s Armed Police. Photo: Handout
Yi Xinyu (left) and Cheng Long (right) have been posthumously recognised by the People’s Armed Police. Photo: Handout

The collision left the bow of the Chinese coastguard vessel heavily damaged. Following the collision, there was speculation that personnel aboard the ship had died, but Beijing had not previously acknowledged any fatalities.

According to public martyr registry records, Yi died at the age of 21 and Cheng was 25. They were both from Shandong province.

The two were also posthumously given a first-class merit citation, one of China’s highest honours for exceptional military and paramilitary service.

The China Coast Guard has been under the command of the PAP since 2018.

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