PLA & Coast Guard Rescue 21 Filipino Crew in South China Sea

A joint rescue operation by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) saved 17 of 21 Philippine crew members after their foreign cargo vessel capsized near Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea on Friday, according to official statements.

South China Sea Rescue Operation

The PLA’s Southern Theater Command received a report at approximately 1:30 am on Friday from the Sansha Maritime Safety Administration that a foreign bulk cargo ship, sailing from the Philippines to China’s Guangdong Province, had capsized and lost contact around 9:30 pm Thursday. The vessel was located about 55 nautical miles northwest of Huangyan Dao.

The CCG received a similar report at 1:34 am from the Sansha maritime search and rescue center in Hainan Province. Both the PLA and CCG immediately dispatched forces to the scene.

As of 12:30 pm Friday, 17 crew members had been rescued. Fourteen are in stable condition, two have been confirmed dead, and one is receiving emergency medical treatment. Rescue operations are ongoing, with additional forces being deployed to the area.

The CCG vessels Dongsha and Sanmen participated in the rescue, having been conducting routine patrol operations near Huangyan Dao at the time of the incident. The Sanmen ship has a history of assisting vessels in distress, including a rescue of eight South Korean fishermen in May 2025, for which its crew received the title of “honorary citizen of Jeju Island” from South Korea.

In a separate incident in December 2025, a Chinese PLA Navy warship provided emergency assistance to a Philippine fishing boat stranded in the South China Sea due to mechanical failure.

According to Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, China’s rescue operations are based on humanitarian considerations and international responsibilities, fulfilling international conventions and providing public humanitarian services at sea regardless of nationality.