China and the Philippines Clash at Sabina Shoal: A New Flashpoint in the South China Sea
TAIPEI – China’s coast guard accused the Philippines of deliberately crashing one of its ships into a Chinese vessel early Monday near Sabina Shoal, a new flashpoint in the increasingly alarming territorial disputes between the countries in the South China Sea.
Two Philippine coast guard ships entered waters near the shoal, ignored the Chinese coast guard’s warning, and “deliberately collided” with one of China’s boats at 3:24 a.m., a spokesperson said in a statement on the Chinese coast guard’s website.
Philippine authorities did not immediately comment on the encounter near the disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands, where overlapping claims are also made by Vietnam and Taiwan.
“The Philippine side is entirely responsible for the collision,” spokesman Gan Yu said. “We warn the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringement and provocation, otherwise it will bear all the consequences arising from that.”
Gan added China claimed “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, known in Chinese as Nansha Islands, including Sabina Shoal and its adjacent waters. The Chinese name for Sabina Shoal is Xianbin Reef.
In a separate statement, he said the Philippine ship that was turned away from Sabina Shoal entered waters near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, ignoring the Chinese coast guard’s warnings. “The Chinese coast guard took control measures against the Philippine ship following the law and regulations,” he added.
Sabina Shoal, located about 140 kilometers (87 miles) west of the Philippines’ island province of Palawan, has now become a new flashpoint in the territorial disputes between China and the Philippines.
The Philippine coast guard deployed one of its key patrol ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, to Sabina in April after Filipino scientists discovered submerged piles of crushed corals in its shallows, sparking suspicions that China may be preparing to construct a structure in the atoll. The Chinese coast guard later dispatched a ship to Sabina.
Sabina lies near the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, which has been the site of increasingly tense encounters between Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships and accompanying vessels since last year.
China and the Philippines recently reached an agreement to prevent further confrontations when the Philippines transports new batches of sentry forces, along with supplies, to Manila’s territorial outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal, which has been closely guarded by Chinese coast guard, navy, and suspected militia ships.
The Philippine navy successfully delivered food and personnel to the Second Thomas Shoal a week after the agreement, with no incidents reported, raising hopes that tensions in the shoal could eventually ease.
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Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines.
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In summary, the ongoing disputes in the South China Sea, particularly at Sabina Shoal, highlight the complexities of territorial claims and the potential for escalation between China and the Philippines. The recent clash serves as a reminder of the delicate balance of power in the region and the importance of diplomatic solutions to prevent further confrontations.
