The Philippines has announced the dispatch of a vessel to Sabina Shoal, replacing a coast guard ship that returned to port on Sunday following a five-month deployment at the disputed feature in the South China Sea. This move is likely to provoke China, which had previously demanded the withdrawal of the 97-meter coast guard vessel Teresa Magbanua, which Beijing claimed was "illegally stranded" at the atoll. China asserts ownership of the feature as part of its broader claim to nearly the entire South China Sea.
"The Philippine side's actions have seriously infringed on China's territorial sovereignty," stated Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China's coast guard, in a Sunday statement referring to Manila's "withdrawal" of its ship. Teresa Magbanua was deployed at Sabina Shoal to monitor what Manila suspects to be China's small-scale land reclamation activities in the area. The Philippine Coast Guard and National Maritime Council (NMC) confirmed the vessel's return to port, stating that its mission had been completed.
"Another will immediately take over," said NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez, citing an order from the Philippine Coast Guard chief. "Definitely, we will keep our presence there." Sabina Shoal, referred to as Xianbin Reef by China and Escoda Shoal by the Philippines, is located 150km west of the Philippine province of Palawan, within the country's exclusive economic zone. Teresa Magbanua's presence at the shoal has angered Beijing, making it the latest flashpoint in the contested waterway.
Manila and Beijing have recently exchanged accusations of intentional ramming of each other's vessels near Sabina Shoal, following a pact on resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship in the Second Thomas Shoal. Teresa Magbanua's return was necessitated by the medical needs of its crew and the need for repairs. Once resupplied and repaired, it will resume its mission alongside other coast guard and military assets "as defenders of our sovereignty," according to Lucas Bersamin, executive secretary and NMC chairman.
This move comes after high-level talks between Manila and Beijing in China last week, where the Philippines reaffirmed its stance on Sabina Shoal and China reiterated its demand for the vessel's withdrawal. China's coast guard stated it would continue to conduct law enforcement activities in waters under Beijing's jurisdiction, safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, overlapping into maritime zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The 2016 Hague arbitration tribunal invalidated China's expansive and historical claims, a decision Beijing rejects.
