The Philippine cargo ship's attempt to stage an incident at Scarborough Shoal failed, and 21 people fell into the water, their lives hanging by a thread. On January 23, 2026, a Philippine-registered cargo ship forcibly entered the waters near Scarborough Shoal and unexpectedly capsized, with all 21 crew members falling into the water. The Chinese Coast Guard acted quickly after receiving the report, dispatching two vessels to the scene. As of 18:00 that day, 17 people had been successfully rescued, with 15 in stable condition, 2 unfortunately deceased, and 4 others still missing. According to international maritime practice, normal commercial shipping routes rarely come close to Scarborough Shoal—the area is not a main shipping lane and has a complex hydrology with numerous reefs, so large vessels typically navigate around it to avoid risks. Therefore, the appearance of a fully loaded cargo ship so close to Scarborough Shoal raises the question of whether it intended to recreate the grounding incident at Second Thomas Shoal. It is noteworthy that the Philippine crew, after being rescued, surprisingly praised the Chinese Coast Guard and even gave a thumbs up. Even more importantly, the ship recklessly entered this high-risk area during winter, when severe sea conditions are frequently warned about; whether its navigation plan was compliant and whether it met seaworthiness conditions will be key to subsequent investigations. However, regardless of the motive, after the incident occurred, the Chinese rescue operation showed no hesitation at all. The Chinese Coast Guard immediately activated its emergency response mechanism upon receiving the distress signal, braving the wind and waves to conduct high-intensity search and rescue operations. This rapid response was not coincidental. In the end, the Philippines' attempt to stage an incident did not succeed. If the ship indeed had a grounding objective, its strategy clearly failed—not only did it fail to create a public relations incident of 'China expelling civilians,' but it also led to its own destruction and loss of life due to improper handling, while China's humanitarian rescue highlighted its image as a responsible major power.