The Philippines has decided to send a new vessel to Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea to replace the coast guard ship Teresa Magbanua, following its return to port. China had demanded the withdrawal of the Teresa Magbanua, claiming it was “illegally stranded” at Sabina Shoal. China’s coast guard criticized the Philippines for infringing on its territorial sovereignty by maintaining a presence at the contested feature. The move to send a replacement vessel to Sabina Shoal is likely to anger China, which asserts ownership over the area as part of its broader claim to the South China Sea.
The coast guard ship Teresa Magbanua had been deployed at Sabina Shoal for five months to monitor what the Philippines suspected to be China’s small-scale land reclamation activities in the area. Its return to port was deemed necessary for the medical needs of its crew and to undergo repairs. The Philippine Coast Guard and National Maritime Council (NMC) stated that another vessel will immediately take over the mission at the shoal in order to maintain the country’s presence in the area. Sabina Shoal, also known as Xianbin Reef by China and Escoda Shoal by the Philippines, lies within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone, leading to tensions between the two countries.
The presence of Teresa Magbanua at Sabina Shoal has sparked clashes between Manila and Beijing, with both sides accusing each other of intentional ramming incidents near the atoll. The area has become the latest flashpoint in the contested South China Sea, where countries like the Philippines, China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam have overlapping maritime claims. Despite the tensions, the Philippines has reaffirmed its position on Sabina Shoal during high-level talks with China last week, while Beijing reiterated its demand for the withdrawal of the coast guard vessel.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, a claim that has been contested by other countries in the region. In 2016, an arbitration tribunal in The Hague invalidated China’s expansive historical claims to the South China Sea, a decision that Beijing rejects. Despite the ruling, China continues to assert its claims to the disputed waters and carry out law enforcement activities to safeguard its territorial sovereignty. The Philippines, on the other hand, remains committed to defending its sovereignty and maintaining a presence at contested features like Sabina Shoal to protect its maritime rights and interests in the region.
The decision to send a replacement vessel to Sabina Shoal comes after a period of tensions between China and the Philippines over the presence of the coast guard ship Teresa Magbanua. The move is seen as a response to China’s demands for the withdrawal of the vessel and as a way for the Philippines to assert its sovereignty in the South China Sea. The situation at Sabina Shoal is part of a broader pattern of maritime disputes in the region, highlighting the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the contested waters. As countries like the Philippines and China continue to assert their claims and defend their interests, tensions in the South China Sea are likely to persist, posing a challenge to regional stability and security.
