Getty ImagesA new flashpoint has emerged in the ongoing maritime dispute between China and the Philippines, as the two countries clash over another location in the South China Sea.
Both China and the Philippines claim sovereignty over many islands and areas in the South China Sea – a dispute between them that has escalated over time with numerous ship collisions, scuffles and accusations of armed intimidation.
But last week, things came to a head when ships from Beijing and Manila collided near Sabina Shoal – with both sides accusing the other of deliberately ramming them.
The shoal, known as Xianbin Jiao in China and Escoda Shoal in the Philippines, lies about 75 nautical miles off the west coast of the Philippines and 630 nautical miles from China.
What happened at Sabina Shoal?
On August 19, several Chinese and Philippine vessels collided near a shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands — an oil-rich area claimed by both countries for years.
China’s coast guard said the Philippine vessel “deliberately collided” with them, while the Philippines said the Chinese vessels were engaging in “aggressive behavior”.
A second round of clashes took place on Sunday, with both sides again blaming each other. Several other countries including Britain, Japan, Australia and South Korea, as well as the EU, criticized China’s actions.
On Monday, the Philippines said 40 Chinese vessels blocked two of its ships from carrying out a “humanitarian mission” to resupply the Teresa Magbuana, a Philippine coast guard ship deployed to the shoal months ago.
The Philippines suspects China is attempting to reclaim land at Sabina Shoal. It has pointed to mounds of crushed coral underwater on Sabina Shoal, which its coast guard has filmed, saying Beijing is using the material to expand the shoal. Chinese state media have called such allegations “groundless.”
Authorities sent the Teresa Magbuana to Sabina in April as part of an extended presence they plan to maintain at the shoal, which Manila sees as key to its oil and gas exploration efforts in the Spratly Islands.
Meanwhile, China sees the presence of the Teresa Magbuana as evidence of the Philippines’ intention to occupy the shoal.
A recent commentary by China’s state news agency Xinhua pointing to a dilapidated World War II ship that the Philippines ran aground in 1999 at Second Thomas Shoal, known to the Chinese as Ren’ai Jiao.
A small number of soldiers remain stationed there and require regular rations. Over the years, the ship has been a source of constant tension between the two countries, with China regularly attempting to block resupply missions to the ship.
“25 years on, the situation remains the same. It is clear that the Philippines is trying to repeat this scenario in Xianbin Jiao,” the commentary said.
“China will never be deceived by the Philippines again.”
Is this an escalation in the dispute between China and the Philippines?
There have been a series of dangerous encounters in recent months as the two sides seek to enforce their claims to disputed reefs and rocks, including Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal.
Collisions often arise from the cat-and-mouse game that boats engage in as they try to chase the other side away.
China has increasingly used water cannons and powerful lasers on Philippine vessels, while the Philippines has accused Chinese vessels of boarding their vessels, leading to scuffles, confiscation of belongings and puncturing of their inflatable boats.
One of the latest allegations from Manila is that Chinese coast guard personnel armed with knives, spears and swords boarded one of their military ships and threatened their soldiers.
“We are up against a stronger opponent,” Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Tuesday, calling on the international community to “speak out strongly against China.”
There have been no casualties so far, although the Philippines says some of its soldiers have been wounded. But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has warned that any Filipino deaths due to China’s actions would be considered an “act of war”.
Observers fear their dispute could eventually spark a larger confrontation in the South China Sea.
A previous attempt by the Philippines to take the United Nations to arbitration ended with a ruling that China had no legal claim within the so-called nine-dash line, the boundary it uses to claim a large swath of the South China Sea. Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.
But in recent weeks, both countries have made efforts to de-escalate direct conflict at sea.
Last month, they agreed to allow the Philippines to resupply its outpost at Second Thomas Shoal with food, supplies and personnel. This has since taken place without any reports of conflict.
However, the incidents at Sabina Shoal raise questions about whether such conciliatory measures will be effective when the dispute can easily shift to a new location.
Additional reporting by Ian Tang
