Chinese Ship Runs Aground off Philippines-Occupied Island in the Disputed South China Sea
In this image made from video provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Public Affairs Office, a Chinese vessel passes shallow waters off Philippines-occupied Thitu island in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday June 7, 2025.
PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines (AP) — A Chinese ship ran aground in stormy weather in shallow waters off a Philippines-occupied island in the disputed South China Sea, prompting Filipino forces to go on alert, Philippine military officials said Sunday.
When Filipino forces assessed that the Chinese fishing vessel appeared to have run aground in the shallows east of Thitu Island on Saturday because of bad weather, Philippine military and coast guard personnel deployed to provide help but later saw that the ship had been extricated, regional navy spokesperson Ellaine Rose Collado said.
No other details were immediately available, including if there were injuries among the crewmembers or if the ship was damaged, Collado said.
Confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy ships in the disputed waters in recent years.
'The alertness of our troops is always there,' Col. Xerxes Trinidad of the Armed Forces of the Philippines told reporters. But when they saw that a probable accident had happened, 'we tried to provide assistance as professionals' in accordance with international law on helping distressed vessels at sea.
'We're always following international law,' Trinidad said.
Filipino villagers living in a fishing village on Thitu, which they call Pagasa island, immediately informed the Philippine military and coast guard after seeing the Chinese ship lying in the shallows about 1.5 nautical miles (2.7 kilometers) from their village, said MP Albayda, a local Filipino official, told The Associated Press.
'They got worried because the Chinese were so close but it was really the strong wind and waves that caused the ship to run aground,' said Albayda, adding that other Chinese ships pulled the stricken vessel away.
The stricken ship resembled what the Philippine military had repeatedly said were suspected Chinese militia ships, which had backed the Chinese coast guard and navy in blocking and harassing Philippine coast guard and military vessels in the disputed waters, a busy conduit for global trade and commerce.
Thitu Island is home to a Philippine fishing village and Filipino forces and is the largest of nine islands and islets occupied by the Philippines. It lies about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Subi Reef, which China transformed into an island base along with six other barren reefs to reinforce its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in the long-simmering territorial standoffs, an Asian flashpoint that many fear could pit China and the United States in a major conflict.
The U.S. does not lay any claim to the South China Sea but has repeatedly warned that it's obligated to defend the Philippines, it's longtime treaty ally, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
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Repatriation Causing Panda Panic in Japan: Adjusting to a New Era in Panda Diplomacy
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'Pandamonium' reigned at Ueno Zoo on November 5, 1972, when Japan's first giant pandas, Kang Kang and Lan Lan, were introduced to the public. (© Jiji) The question came up late last April in talks between Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Moriyama Hiroshi and National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji during a visit to Beijing by the Japan-China parliamentary league, which Moriyama chairs. Early last June, retired LDP politician Kōno Yōhei, visiting Beijing as president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, lodged a request for pandas at a meeting with Premier Li Qiang. Moriyama raised the subject again on July 11 in a conversation with Vice-Premier He Lifeng at Expo 2025 in Osaka. On that occasion, the vice-premier is said to have agreed that the pandas were 'important for people-to-people exchange' between the two countries. However, at a press conference on May 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to a question about the Wakayama pandas and the possibility of their replacement, saying, 'We welcome Japanese friends to come visit them in China.' This might mean just what it says and nothing more, or it could be a way of saying that China has no plans to send more pandas to Japan. In fact, it has become more and more common for Japanese panda fans to travel as far as China to indulge their passion. The Chinese may see no point in sending giant pandas to Japan when it can instead lure Japanese enthusiasts to China. Such visitors are sure to find other things to love about the country, while providing a boost to the local tourism and hospitality industry. Rising Risks of Panda Diplomacy One possible factor motivating China's repatriation of its giant pandas is the rising concern about panda welfare among social media users in China and around the world. Animal lovers use the Internet to keep a watchful eye on the conditions and treatment of pandas in captivity, and the Chinese government must strive continuously to prove its commitment to the animals' protection. In the early 2020s, photos of an emaciated-looking pair of pandas at the Memphis Zoo went viral on Chinese social media. When the facility's male panda, Le Le, died in 2023, rumors of abuse circulated, fanning anti-US sentiment, and the Chinese government had to intervene to quell the furor. Meanwhile, after Fu Bao, an immensely popular Korean-born panda, was repatriated to China, South Korean fans grew concerned about her treatment there and launched a protest campaign, including a full-page ad in the New York Times . This incendiary climate could be one factor behind China's decision to repatriate pandas from overseas zoos without delay, as soon as the leases expire. Departments inside China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Chengdu municipal government in Sichuan province bear responsibility for the loan of pandas to overseas facilities, and the officials running those entities could be held to account if concerns about a panda's health surfaced during a loan's extension. These days, a certain degree of risk attends the use of giant pandas for political, economic, or any other purposes not directly related to animal welfare and conservation. Panda Politics? With friction between the United States and China intensifying, some Japanese commentary has promoted the notion that Beijing is using the pandas as leverage to influence Japanese decision making on economic and security issues. But the facts do not support the idea of a link between China's panda loans and tensions with the United States. After all, in 2024, China sent pandas to two major US facilities, the National Zoo in Washington, DC, and the San Diego Zoo in California. Beijing regards pandas as a tool of public diplomacy, a means of enhancing its image and nurturing friendly ties with the local populace. This is why it considered sending pandas to private American zoos back in the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War. If, indeed, Beijing hoped to use the Wakayama pandas to influence Japanese policy or politics, it must have been disappointed by the results. In April 2025, the Japanese government designated Nanki-Shirahama Airport—just a stone's throw from Adventure World—a 'specified use airport.' This means that it will be available to Japan's Self-Defense Forces for training purposes, while maintaining its primary civilian function. The potential use of that facility by US military forces in Japan has also come up for discussion. Had the threat of angering China and losing the Wakayama pandas fueled local opposition, that might have worked to China's advantage, but the Nanki-Shirahama Airport plan barely came up in the Wakayama gubernatorial election held on June 1 this year. The fact is that Japanese politics is not panda-driven, and the Chinese are fully aware of this. There has been no indication from Beijing that the decision to repatriate the pandas en masse was politically driven. But it is entirely possible that political caution was a factor in the decision-making process farther downstream. Over the past decade, the Communist Party has tightened its control over every aspect of Chinese society in the name of national security. Under the circumstances, if the local authorities in charge of overseas panda loans—in this case, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Chengdu municipal government—gave special consideration to Wakayama Prefecture at such a time, they might be suspected of condoning military cooperation between Japan and the United States. It is reasonable to speculate that these authorities deemed it expedient to remove all four pandas as soon as the lease was up so as to minimize the potential for controversy. As noted above, it has become increasingly common to repatriate all the pandas on loan to a given facility at the end of the lease, often replacing them at a later date. This may be an indication that those involved with panda exchange at the working level have less discretion than they did previously. Grounds for Hope As mentioned earlier, the Ueno pandas are scheduled to leave for China next year, potentially leaving Japan panda-less. Still, there are grounds for optimism that China will come through with replacements in the not-too-distant future. To begin with, pandas mean so much to the Japanese people that denying the nation even one panda would doubtless be viewed as a malicious act on China's part. Japanese zoos have been keeping giant pandas for more than 50 years now, and several generations of Japanese share fond memories of visiting and observing the creatures. Surely China would not wish to damage the panda's image as an ambassador of friendship. Second, Japan's pro-China lawmakers have been lobbying Beijing persistently for further panda loans, and it would hurt their reputation if those efforts came to nothing. It would not be in Beijing's interests if these China-friendly politicians lost their credibility or their incentive to work for rapprochement. My guess is that the Chinese are just searching for the right opportunity to send the next batch of pandas to Japan. Adapting to a New Era Meanwhile, as a host country, Japan needs to be careful about how it approaches the topic. Media coverage of the Wakayama pandas' repatriation has tended to highlight the impact on the local economy. Such discourse could easily create the impression that Japan's desire for more pandas is driven primarily by economic self-interest. The exploitation of pandas for profit runs counter to China's official position on the purpose of the loans—namely, panda conservation—and it would not sit well with the world's panda lovers. Over the past few decades, China has made a point of showcasing its scientific research on giant pandas and its efforts to return the animals to the wild, while doing its best to keep politics and economics out of the discussion. By contrast, politics and economics have come to dominate the conversation in Japan's discourse spaces. This anachronistic focus could undermine Japan's ability to engage in productive dialogue with China and the rest of the international community. Local governments in Japan that are hoping to host pandas have already made note of this problem and are doing what they can to re-frame the issue. The Chinese use of pandas as 'ambassadors' has always been based on unsolicited Chinese offers of leases of the animals, which have been gratefully accepted by the recipient countries. In light of this history, it seems silly to start accusing the Chinese government of using pandas for political or economic ends. If other countries are unhappy with the situation, then they can always refuse the loans. For many years, giant pandas were moved about at the whim of human beings for reasons having little to do with the welfare of the animals or the species. Nowadays, China is under pressure to demonstrate that its top priority is protecting pandas and releasing them into the wild. This is a development to be welcomed. Similarly, Japan's foremost concern should be passing on the knowledge it has gained through decades of care and study and considering how best to apply it to panda conservation. (Originally written in Japanese. Banner photo: The giant panda Liangbin, soon to be returned to China, on June 27, 2025, her last day of public display at Wakayama Prefecture's Adventure World. © Jiji.)
