A Philippine coast guard ship caused a scrape with a Chinese vessel on the early morning of August 19 in waters near Xianbin Jiao. Later, it intruded into the waters of Ren'ai Jiao, according to the China Coast Guard (CCG).

At 3:24 a.m., the Philippine coast guard ship ignored repeated warnings from the Chinese side and intentionally sailed dangerously toward a Chinese coast guard vessel on maritime enforcement duty, causing the scrape, said CCG spokesperson Gan Yu. He added that the Philippine side bears full responsibility for the incident.

Around 6 a.m., the Philippine coast guard ship, defying warnings from the Chinese side and disregarding route control, intruded into the waters of Ren'ai Jiao, Gan said.

Gan further stated that the repeated provocations by the Philippine side have seriously infringed upon China's sovereignty and damaged peace and stability in the region. He urged the Philippines to immediately cease such provocations or bear full responsibility for any resulting consequences.