China confirms 2 deaths in South China Sea collision

Beijing has confirmed the deaths of two Chinese sailors in a 2025 South China Sea collision, according to government statements nearly a year after the incident.

Last August, video footage released by Manila showed a Chinese navy vessel colliding with a Chinese coast guard vessel while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near a disputed shoal. A Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed at the time that there had been a confrontation, but did not mention the collision, injuries or deaths.

The People's Armed Police Force said on social media Wednesday that it had awarded four “martyrs”, including Coast Guard sailors Yi Xinyu and Cheng Long, a special title for “steadfast political convictions, exemplary deeds and outstanding achievements”.

Profiles on the government's China Martyrs Network said Yi and Cheng both died on August 11, 2025, the date of the collision, in a “rights defense operation”. Yi was 21 and Cheng was 25 at the time of their deaths, according to the profiles.

It is not clear when the sailors were given the martyr designation, which awards families special housing and medical support among other aid.

China and the Philippines have clashed repeatedly in the South China Sea, almost all of which Beijing claims as its territory. Filipino and Chinese sailors clashed again in the disputed waters in July, in what was their first serious encounter in months, and both sides summoned each other's ambassadors.