China Acknowledges First Deaths in South China Sea Collision, Names 2 as 'Martyrs'

BEIJING — Chinese authorities have officially acknowledged for the first time the deaths of two Coast Guard personnel in a collision between their vessels in the South China Sea last August, naming them as 'martyrs.' This marks the first apparent acknowledgement of fatalities from the high-profile incident. A China Coast Guard ship collided bow-first with a Chinese naval destroyer on August 11 as they maneuvered against Philippines Coast Guard operations to support its fishermen at Bajo de Masinloc, also called Scarborough Shoal. Chinese officials have never directly acknowledged the collision, which then-Philippines National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said at the time had left two Chinese personnel dead and a third missing. The accident was the first known collision between Chinese vessels in the area amid protracted tensions over disputed features straddling the vital trade route. At the time, Beijing accused the Philippines of 'dangerous maneuvers' without referring directly to the collision. Video shows the two Chinese vessels bearing down on the BRP Suluan but then colliding into each other instead. My view of the collision at sea of China Coast Guard 3104 and PLA Navy 164 in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc in Zambales, Philippines.Before this, the Chinese navy and coast guard ships nearly collided twice trying to outmaneuver BRP Suluan of the Philippine Coast Guard. pic.twitter.com/xePxkUn7oY The names of two coast guard personnel are listed among 'martyrs' on an official commemorative website run by China's veterans' affairs ministry. Yi Xinyu, aged 21, and Cheng Long, aged 25, died while on a maritime rights protection mission, their citations say. Cheng's says he died 'tragically, heroically,' while Yi's notes he was in a frontline South China Sea operation. The Chinese defense ministry did not immediately respond to questions faxed by Reuters. The veterans' affairs ministry could not be reached for comment. It is not known when the names of Cheng and Yi were added to the website, but they were being discussed on Chinese social media feeds on Thursday. Reuters reported on August 27 that satellite images showed the coast guard vessel was under repair at Hainan Island. — Reuters