China’s coast guard has accused the Philippines of intentionally causing a collision between one of its ships and a Chinese vessel near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident occurred early Monday when two Philippine coast guard ships entered the waters near the shoal and allegedly collided with the Chinese boat despite warnings from the Chinese coast guard.
The disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands, where the collision took place, is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan in addition to China and the Philippines. China’s coast guard spokesperson stated that the Philippines was solely responsible for the collision and warned them to cease their actions to avoid facing consequences.
China asserts “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, including Sabina Shoal, also known as Xianbin Reef. The Philippine ship involved in the collision near Sabina Shoal was reported to have entered waters near Second Thomas Shoal, another disputed area, and disregarded warnings from the Chinese coast guard.
Sabina Shoal, situated about 140 kilometers west of Palawan in the Philippines, has now emerged as a point of contention between China and the Philippines due to suspicions raised by Filipino scientists discovering crushed corals, hinting at potential construction projects by China in the region.
Tensions have been escalating at Second Thomas Shoal, a Philippine-occupied territory close to Sabina Shoal, where both Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels have engaged in alarming confrontations over the past year. A recent agreement between China and the Philippines aimed to mitigate such confrontations during the transportation of supplies and personnel to the Second Thomas Shoal.
Following the implementation of the agreement, the Philippine navy successfully delivered supplies and personnel to the Second Thomas Shoal without incident, fostering hopes for a potential de-escalation of tensions in the region.
