(that's how close they are)
So what really happen, why's there a stand off?
On April 8, 2012, Sunday a Philippine surveillance aircraft was doing its normal routine, when it spotted it 8 Chinese fishing vessels off the coast of Escarboro Shoal or Panatag Shoal , the Philippine navy aircraft quickly sent a message to head quarters then went back home. The Philippine navy dispatched one of it's warships BRP Gregorio Del Pilar to intercept the 8 Chinese fishing vessels, upon arrival of BRP Gregorio Del Pilar 2 Chinese navy vessels were in the area Zhonggou Haijian 75 and Zhonggu Haijian 84, these were research vessels but were capable of combat if necessary.
Now here comes the bad part, since the 8 Chinese fishing vessels were allegedly in Philippine territory, the Philippines navy wanted confiscate whatever natural resource they had. The two Chinese navy vessels, got in the way. They barricaded in front of the Philippine navy "Implying if you want to get through them you have to get through us first".
Now that's when the stand off began,..neither two countries were willing to give up there sovereign beliefs.
And at night time, the 8 fishing vessels one by one left
Talks were made, between the two countries wanting to end the stand off in a diplomatic way, now the Philippine government does not have an ambassador to the Chinese embassy and that made it even worst. But still talks were made, the agreement was. If the Chinese vessels leave, the Philippine navy and coast guard will leave as well. The message that got to the Chinese was different, it came to them that "the Philippines will leave, then the Chinese vessels will leave as well", Now the Philippines doesn't want to leave first because it's protocol, China must leave first. That's when the Chinese government sent there warship, which was larger.