Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Asia’s bully tripping over its own hubris

‘Beijing wanted Scarborough to be a showcase of dominance. Instead, it has become a stage for China’s self-inflicted embarrassment.’

THE August 11 spectacle in the West Philippine Sea gave the world a sight Beijing cannot spin away: two Chinese ships colliding while chasing a Philippine vessel on a humanitarian mission.

In a desperate scramble to block the BRP Suluan from delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, the China Coast Guard’s CCG-3104 rammed into its ally, the Navy warship 164. The crash, caught on camera, sent an unmistakable message: China’s bullying has become so reckless it now damages itself.

Scarborough is no ordinary patch of rock. Located just 124 nautical miles from Luzon, it lies well within our Exclusive Economic Zone under international law. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China’s imaginary nine-dash line was “without legal basis” and affirmed that Scarborough is a traditional fishing ground open to all. Yet, China continues to enforce its self-styled “exclusion zone” with lasers, water cannons, and swarms of militia boats. Now, its tactics have spiraled out of control.

This collision was no freak accident. It was the natural result of China’s “gray zone” warfare—a strategy of harassment, intimidation, and blockades designed to avoid open war. That approach depends on discipline and deniability, but when a coast guard ship barrels into a navy destroyer in front of Philippine cameras, the façade collapses. Beijing can no longer claim professionalism at sea; it has exposed itself as clumsy, desperate, and dangerous.

The Philippines, by contrast, showed calm resolve. Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed that the CCG-3104 was left “unseaworthy” after the impact. Manila swiftly lodged a protest, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed, “We will continue to be present, we will continue to defend our territory.”

The BRP Suluan successfully completed its mission, and the fishermen were supplied. The bully stumbled, while the Pearl of the Orient Seas held its ground.

What makes this episode even more significant is that it drags the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) directly into the fray. Earlier confrontations were mostly between coast guard and militia vessels. Now, a PLAN destroyer has been publicly humiliated in an operation it could not even control. Far from projecting strength, China reveals cracks—both between its forces and in its grand narrative of inevitability.

Beijing wanted Scarborough to be a showcase of dominance. Instead, it has become a stage for China’s self-inflicted embarrassment.

Each reckless act only rallies more support for Manila from allies like the United States, Japan, and Australia. Each diplomatic protest shines more light on Beijing’s banditry. When China’s ships crash into each other, the world sees the truth: the bully of Asia is not unstoppable—it is simply tripping over its arrogance.

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