Sabina Shoal: New China-Philippines Flashpoint in South China Sea

A spokesperson for the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG), Liu Dejun, claimed that the Philippine ship engaged in “dangerous maneuvering” and deliberately collided with a Chinese coast guard vessel.

"At 12:06, the Philippine ship No. 9701 deliberately collided with the Chinese ship No. 5205, which was normally enforcing rights and law enforcement, in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines,” Liu said.

 In response, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) released photos and videos showing that it was, in fact, the CCG who intentionally rammed their vessel, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, not once but three times—without any provocation.

 PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela stated in a press conference on Saturday that the Chinese coast guard vessel 5205 took aggressive action without provocation, causing significant damage to the Philippine boat.

 Beijing, however, disputes this claim, insisting that their ship lawfully issued verbal warnings and took necessary monitoring and control measures against the Philippine vessel.

Another photo released by the PCG shows the Magbanua in Sabina Shoal surrounded and outnumbered by ten Chinese vessels. This incident marks the fifth encounter between the Chinese and Philippine coast guards at the contested atoll within just one month.

Since last year, confrontations between Manila and Beijing in these contested waters have become increasingly frequent, involving pursuits, ramming, water cannon incidents, collisions, and even an incident where a Philippine Navy personnel lost a thumb.

These events have primarily occurred at Second Thomas Shoal, within the Philippines’ claimed Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

In 1999, the Philippine government deliberately grounded the BRP Sierra Madre on Second Thomas Shoal, five years after China occupied the nearby Mischief Reef. Manila stationed a platoon of marines on the aging ship as a symbol of the Philippines’ sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

 Tensions between the two nations escalated as China asserted its claim to 90 percent of the South China Sea through the controversial nine-dash line. Beijing argues that it has an undisputed historical claim to these waters, challenging the maritime claims of several Southeast Asian countries.

 Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have claims in the South China Sea, and according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), each nation is entitled to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

 In the case of Second Thomas Shoal, it lies just 105 nautical miles from the western coast of Palawan, Philippines, but over 600 nautical miles from China’s Hainan Province.

 In 2013, the Philippines filed a case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration and won in 2016, with the ruling declaring China’s nine-dash line claim baseless.

 Despite the ruling, China did not recognise the verdict and instead intensified its patrols, reclamation activities, and military presence in the South China Sea.

When Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. took office as President of the Philippines in 2022, tensions between Beijing and Manila escalated again, particularly around Second Thomas Shoal. China demanded that the Philippines remove the naval ship, but Manila remained resolute and continued its resupply missions to the troops stationed there.

 Since last year, these resupply missions have turned into a cat-and-mouse game between the Philippine and Chinese coast guard vessels.

In July 2024, during talks in Vientiane, Laos, Manila and Beijing agreed to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea, leading to smooth and uninterrupted resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre.

 However, despite this agreement, tensions have simply shifted to a new flashpoint, the Sabina Shoal, where conflict has erupted once again. 

Sabina Shoal is located just 75 nautical miles from the western coast of Palawan, Philippines, and 630 nautical miles from China. The new hotspot between China and the Philippine coast guards in the South China Sea is relatively close to the previous flashpoint, the Second Thomas Shoal.

In mid-April, the Philippines stationed their coast guard vessel, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, at Sabina Shoal, suspecting that China might attempt to seize the uninhabited atoll.

Manila has been monitoring Chinese activities in the area, including potential reclamation efforts, after the discovery of an unnatural accumulation of crushed coral there.

However, China harboured the same suspicions and lodged a diplomatic protest against the Philippines due to the ship’s prolonged presence at the shoal.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said in a press conference, “Since April, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, MRRV-9701, has been lawfully anchored at Xianbin Jiao (Sabina Shoal) and has remained there for an extended period, seriously infringing on China’s sovereignty, violating international law, and the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and severely threatening regional peace and stability.”

Similar to the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal, the goal for Magbanua is to maintain a rotating personnel stationed aboard.

Recently, a resupply mission to Magbanua sparked a confrontation between the Manila and Beijing coast guard vessels, leading to water cannon incidents and Saturday’s collision.

From Manila’s perspective, Magbanua’s presence in Sabina Shoal is legal, as the area is well within the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines as stated in UNCLOS, supported by the 2016 arbitral ruling.

“The Chinese coast guard vessels are the ones illegally intruding—their presence there is unlawful. We are there on a legal basis because [Sabina Shoal] is ours. We shouldn’t have to ask permission in our own home. Let’s be very clear about that,” said Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, spokesperson for the Philippine National Maritime Council.

The international community, including New Zealand, has expressed concern over these incidents, calling for de-escalation and compliance with international law.

The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, condemned “the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (People's Republic of China), including today’s intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.”

“We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law,” US Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said in a statement posted on 31 August on X.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, also indicated Washington’s willingness to escort Manila’s vessels to Sabina Shoal if necessary.

The US has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under armed attack in the South China Sea.

The South China Sea is a critical shipping route, with an estimated $3 trillion in trade passing through annually, and 60 to 80 percent of New Zealand’s trade also passes through this area.

-Asia Media Centre