South China Sea: Sabina Shoal may be new hotspot as Philippines, Beijing spar over sovereignty

Manila on Monday rejected a claim by a China Coast Guard spokesperson that the presence of the BRP Teresa Magbanua, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship stationed at the shoal, violated Beijing’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. The Chinese side also claimed the vessel had been “illegally stranded” on the shoal.

Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, denied the accusation, saying the BRP Magbanua had been “intentionally deployed to maintain our presence and ensure the protection of this area of the West Philippine Sea”, referring to the part of the South China Sea that lies within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“Given our sovereign rights in these waters, the Philippine coastguard can remain there for as long as necessary,” Tarriela added.

Manila has had the BRP Teresa Magbanua deployed to the shoal – a low-tide elevation feature that is part of the Spratly Islands, located 75 nautical miles (139km) from the island province of Palawan – since April to monitor and prevent alleged illegal activities by Chinese vessels.

In May, the Philippines claimed China could be undertaking land reclamation activities near the shoal after crushed corals were found in the area.

Over the weekend, the BRP Teresa Magbanua was used to provided Philippine fishermen with fuel subsidies, while Chinese research vessel the Ke Xue San Hao, the China Coast Guard’s largest vessel nicknamed “the Monster”, and 12 Chinese maritime militia were spotted patrolling the area.

Jose Antonio Custodio, a defence analyst and fellow at the Consortium of Indo-Pacific Researchers, told This Week in Asia on Tuesday Sabina Shoal could be the next potential flashpoint in the South China Sea conflict.

“The Chinese are trying to inch