A new naval incident has once again raised tensions in the South China Sea, after a frigate of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carried out a maneuver considered dangerous against a Philippine vessel near the disputed Spratly Islands.
According to what was reported by the Philippine Navy and open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources, the event took place on March 25, when the landing ship BRP Benguet was intercepted by the Chinese guided-missile frigate Binzhou (532), in the vicinity of Thitu Island, the main Philippine position in the archipelago. According to the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Chinese unit executed an “unsafe and unprofessional” maneuver, rapidly approaching on the port side and forcing the Philippine crew to alter its course to avoid a collision.
The episode takes place in a highly sensitive regional scenario, where the Philippines regularly conducts logistical missions aimed at supplying its westernmost positions, many of them located in areas disputed with China. In this case, the BRP Benguet, a U.S.-origin landing ship whose design dates back to World War II, was carrying out one of these routine transport and support tasks, which makes the incident more significant as it involved a logistical unit.
For its part, the frigate Binzhou (532) belongs to the Type 054A class, one of the main escort vessels of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, equipped with air defense systems, anti-submarine capabilities, and advanced sensors, positioning it as a modern platform for maritime control and naval presence operations.
This event adds to a series of recent incidents between both naval forces. At the beginning of March, it was reported that a Chinese unit had used its fire-control radar against a Philippine frigate, while in recent years recurrent harassment maneuvers have been recorded, including blockades, use of water cannons, and even collisions in disputed areas such as Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal.
In this context, this new episode near the Spratly Islands once again adds to the list of incidents and reflects the high level of friction in the South China Sea, where the constant presence of naval assets in areas claimed by multiple actors keeps alive the risk of incidents that could escalate.
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