China honors two coast guard personnel as martyrs after Scarborough Shoal collision

China has posthumously honored two coast guard personnel as martyrs, marking its first apparent acknowledgment of fatalities from a naval collision in the South China Sea last August. The pair, Yi Xinyu, 21, and Cheng Long, 25, died in an August 11 incident when a Chinese coast guard ship struck a navy destroyer during maneuvers against Philippine operations at Scarborough Shoal, according to official citations. Beijing never directly acknowledged the collision; Manila said it bore no responsibility, calling it an 'unfortunate outcome.' The names appeared online and were discussed on social media.