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Manila, the capital of the Philippines, decided to bring back its largest coastguard ship, the Teresa Magbanua, from Sabina Shoal after it was blocked and rammed by the Chinese coastguard. The crew of the ship suffered from lack of water and food, and the ship itself was damaged. The Philippines plans to send another ship to replace the Teresa Magbanua at Sabina.
The situation at Sabina Shoal will show how effective Beijing’s coastguard is at using coercion and if China is willing to lower tensions with the Philippines over the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, including waters where international law says the Philippines have exclusive rights to resources.
The conflict intensified when the Philippines sent the Teresa Magbanua to Sabina in April to protect it from Chinese takeover attempts. In response, China deployed a larger coastguard ship which prevented the Philippines from resupplying the crew and repeatedly rammed their ship.
Many people are worried that this incident could lead to a similar situation as in 2012 when China took control of Scarborough Shoal, another disputed reef to the north, by using rough seas as an excuse to occupy the area and block Filipino fishermen.
In 2016, a court ruling stated that China’s claims in the area were unlawful. Sabina Shoal, located within 200 nautical miles of the Philippines, is considered part of the sea floor where the Philippines have the exclusive rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Philippines withdrew its ship following talks with China, but officials said it was not a compromise. China still believes it has sovereignty over Sabina Shoal and accuses the Philippines of being there illegally.
China’s spokesperson, Liu Dejun, said that the Philippines’ attempts to resupply the ship were all unsuccessful due to Chinese control measures. China plans to continue enforcing its rights in the area.
Lucas Bersamin, executive secretary of the National Maritime Council in the Philippines, said a new ship will replace the Teresa Magbanua at Sabina Shoal. However, there were no reports of any Philippine ships in the area after the Teresa Magbanua left.
The coastguard spokesperson, Jay Tarriela, said bad weather, depleted supplies, and crew members needing medical attention forced the Teresa Magbanua to return to port. The ship was also damaged from the collisions with the Chinese coastguard.
A US defense official expressed concern over China’s actions at Sabina Shoal and assured the Philippines of US support under their defense treaty. The official indicated that the US will be closely monitoring the situation at Sabina Shoal if China continues to escalate the conflict.
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