A photo provided to the Global Times from the China Coast Guard (CCG) shows CCG personnel assisting a rescued Filipino crew member of a capsized foreign cargo ship near the Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea on January 23, 2026. The ship was carrying 21 Philippine crew members, with 17 people rescued as of 12:30 pm on the day. Photo: Courtesy of CCG

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command and the China Coast Guard (CCG) launched a joint emergency rescue operation on Friday after a foreign cargo vessel carrying 21 Philippine crew members capsized in waters near China's Huangyan Dao, with 17 people rescued as of 12:30 pm, according to official statements. 

A Chinese expert said that the rescue serves as another example of CCG and PLA Navy providing humanitarian assistance to vessels and personnel in distress at the South China Sea under international maritime search and rescue conventions.

At around 1:30 am on Friday, the PLA's Southern Theater Command received a report 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 at around 9:30 pm on Thursday in waters about 55 nautical miles northwest of Huangyan Dao. There were 21 crew members on board. Upon receiving the report, the Southern Theater Command responded swiftly, immediately deploying forces for rescue operations. Military aircraft were dispatched to conduct continuous aerial searches over the area, while two nearby CCG vessels were ordered to proceed at once to carry out rescue efforts.

The CCG received the report at 1:34 am on Friday from the Sansha maritime search and rescue center in South China's Hainan Province regarding the capsized foreign cargo vessel. Following the incident, the CCG immediately dispatched two coast guard vessels to the scene to carry out search and rescue operations, the CCG said on Friday.

As of 12:30 pm on Friday, 17 people have been rescued. Fourteen are in stable condition, two have been confirmed dead, and one remains under emergency medical treatment. Rescue operations are continuing, with maritime authorities organizing additional rescue forces to the scene, the command said. 

Global Times learned exclusively from a source on Friday that the two CCG vessels involved in the rescue operation were the Dongsha and Sanmen ships. At the time of the incident, both vessels were conducting routine duty and patrol operations in waters near Huangyan Dao. After receiving a notification from the Sansha maritime search and rescue center in Hainan Province, the two vessels immediately rushed to the site to carry out emergency rescue operations.

The Sanmen ship, which participated in the latest rescue mission, has previously been involved in multiple rescue operations involving foreign vessels and is widely regarded as a "guardian at sea." On May 13, 2025, the South Korean Jeju-based fishing vessel "887 EOJIN" encountered danger in waters of the East China Sea. After receiving the distress call, the CCG promptly dispatched the Sanmen ship, which completed the rescue within two hours and provided medical assistance and transfer support to eight South Korean crew members.

On September 16, 2025, the government of South Korea's Jeju Special Self-Governing Province held an event marking the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of China-South Korea diplomatic relations, during which four law enforcement officers from the Sanmen ship were awarded the title of "honorary citizen of Jeju Island" in recognition of their role in the successful rescue of the eight South Korean fishermen, according to another official release from the CCG on September 17, 2025. 

At the awards ceremony, Governor of South Korea's Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Oh Young-hun described the rescue as "a vivid example of China-South Korea friendship," saying that the four honorary titles stood as testimony to international humanitarianism and cooperation between the two countries. 

In a similar humanitarian operation less than one month earlier, a Chinese PLA Navy warship provided emergency assistance to a Philippine fisherman in distress in the South China Sea. On December 25, 2025, the warship (Hull 174), while also conducting routine patrols, spotted a Philippine fishing boat that had been stranded at sea for three days and nights due to mechanical failure and was running short of food and drinking water. Chinese naval personnel supplied the fisherman with food and water and notified a nearby Philippine Coast Guard vessel for follow-up assistance, according to information released by relevant authorities, as the Global Times previously reported.

Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Friday that China's rescue operations are carried out based on humanitarian considerations and international responsibilities.

China's provision of maritime rescue assistance in the South China Sea is not an isolated case but part of a long-standing and continuous practice, Chen said, adding that whether conducted by the navy, coast guard or other capable vessels, such operations reflect China's fulfillment of international conventions and its role in providing public humanitarian services at sea, regardless of the nationality of those rescued.