**China and the Philippines Clash Over Disputed South China Sea Shoal**
China and the Philippines exchanged accusations on Saturday regarding the deliberate ramming of their coast guard ships near a contested shoal in the South China Sea. This incident marks the latest in a series of confrontations between the two nations in recent weeks. China claims nearly all of this strategically important waterway, despite competing claims from other countries and an international court ruling that China’s claim lacks legal foundation.
A spokesperson for the Chinese coast guard reported that Saturday’s incident occurred near the disputed Sabina Shoal, now a hotspot in the ongoing maritime disputes between Manila and Beijing. Located 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and approximately 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, China’s nearest significant landmass, Sabina Shoal has become a focal point of tension.
According to Liu Dejun, a China Coast Guard spokesperson, a Philippine ship “deliberately collided with” a Chinese vessel near the shoal around noon (0400 GMT). Liu condemned the “unprofessional and dangerous” actions of the Philippine vessel, asserting China’s “indisputable sovereignty” in the area.
Conversely, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela accused the Chinese vessel 5205 of “directly and intentionally ramming” the Philippines’ 97-meter ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua, which had been anchored in Sabina Shoal since April to assert Manila’s claim over the area. The collision reportedly occurred three times, damaging the BRP Teresa Magbanua’s port bow, starboard quarter, and port beam. No crew members were injured, but the ship sustained notable damage, including a hole.
“It is important for us to note that this ramming happened despite our unprovoked action and presence in Escoda Shoal,” Tarriela told reporters, using the Filipino name for Sabina Shoal.
### ‘Serious Concern’
This collision is the fifth instance of Chinese maritime harassment this month, according to Tarriela. National Maritime Council Spokesperson Alexander Lopez stated that a report on the latest clash would be submitted to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs for review and appropriate action. “We take this with serious concern,” Lopez said at a news conference, emphasizing that the Philippines has a legal basis for its presence in the area.
Lopez further clarified, “We are there on a legal basis because that is ours; we don’t need to ask for permission in our own territory.”
Philippine and Chinese vessels have collided near Sabina Shoal at least twice this month. Analysts suggest that Beijing aims to extend its influence deeper into Manila’s exclusive economic zone and normalize Chinese control over the area.
The discovery of crushed coral at the shoal earlier this year has fueled suspicions in Manila that Beijing plans to build another permanent base there, which would be its closest outpost to the Philippine archipelago. Recent clashes have also occurred around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. In June, a Filipino sailor lost a thumb during a confrontation when Chinese coast guard members used knives, sticks, and an axe to prevent a Philippine Navy resupply mission.
Sabina Shoal serves as a rendezvous point for Philippine resupply missions to the garrison on Second Thomas Shoal. These repeated confrontations have led Manila to label Beijing as the “biggest disruptor” to peace in Southeast Asia at a recent defense conference.
