Philippines slams China coastguard’s ‘dangerous’ clash with its ships near Sabina Shoal

The Philippine government on Monday slammed the “dangerous and illegal manoeuvres” of Chinese coastguard vessels that led to a collision with two Philippine coastguard vessels in Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

Analysts warn that the mild statement from the Philippines – issued by Jonathan Malaya, a spokesman for the multi-agency National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) – could embolden China to carry out further provocations.

It has also raised concerns about whether the Philippines would seek stronger support from its allies or defuse tensions on its own over its longstanding maritime row with China.

The incident took place early on Monday morning near the disputed Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea.

In a statement, the Chinese coastguard (CCG) claimed the “deliberate” collision arose from the “unprofessional and dangerous” behaviour of the Philippine coastguard (PCG).

The CCG released two videos of the ramming incident on Monday near what Beijing referred to as Xianbin Jiao, its name for the Sabina Shoal.

The collision resulted in damage to two PCG vessels. No Filipino sailors were injured, according to media reports.

In response to China’s statements, Malaya criticised the CCG in a statement but stopped short of condemning Beijing over the incident.

Malaya urged China to observe “restraint and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and other relevant international laws to prevent further escalations and ensure the safety of all vessels operating in the region”.

The latest escalation in the dispute occurred 11 days after a Chinese air force plane fired a series of flares in the path of a Philippine air force plane.

In another incident two months ago, a Filipino navy man lost