US stands with PH, condemns China's actions in WPS

The United States government said it stands with the Philippines as it condemned the "dangerous and escalatory actions" of China in the vicinity of Sabina Shoal on Saturday.

"The United States stands with its ally, the Philippines, and condemns the dangerous and escalatory actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the vicinity of Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on August 31," Matthew Miller, US Department of State spokesperson, said in a statement issued on Saturday.

A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel on Saturday "intentionally" and repeatedly rammed the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which had been anchored on Escoda Shoal (Sabina Shoal) since April, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The 97-meter (320-foot) BRP Teresa Magbanua, the largest vessel of the PCG's fleet, heavied up its anchor to loiter around Escoda Shoal, located just 75 nautical miles or about 139 km from the main Palawan island, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a press conference.

This action caught the attention of both the CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels around the area, the PCG said.

CCG vessel 5205 directly rammed BRP Teresa Magbanua's port bow, then turned around and again rammed the PCG vessel two more times, "despite our unprovoked action and presence in Escoda Shoal," Tarriela added.

"This is the latest in a series of dangerous and escalatory actions by the PRC. On multiple occasions throughout August 2024, the PRC has aggressively disrupted lawful Philippine aerial and maritime operations in the South China Sea, including at Sabina Shoal," the US State Department said.

"The PRC’s unlawful claims of “territorial sovereignty” over ocean areas where no land territory exists, and its increasingly aggressive actions to enforce them, threaten the freedoms of navigation and overflight of all nations," it added.

The US then again called on China "to comport its claims and actions with international law and to desist from dangerous and destabilizing conduct."

It then stressed that the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty "extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea."

Meanwhile, Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for CCG, said in a statement issued Saturday that a Philippine ship, "illegally stranded" at the shoal, had lifted anchor and "deliberately rammed" a Chinese vessel. He called on the Philippines to withdraw immediately or bear the consequences.

For its part, the Chinese Embassy in Manila asked, ''Why [has] PCG 9701 [stayed] there since April?''

''That's is the root cause of everything now,'' it said. ''The Philippines is trying to create another Renai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) situation in Escoda Shoal.''

Tarriela said Manila would not withdraw its ship "despite the harassment, the bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard."

National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesperson Alexander Lopez said at the same press conference on Saturday that the Philippines is only exercising its "sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the area," citing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling.

The PCA invalidated China's massive claims in the South China Sea via its "nine-dash line".

Located 75 nautical miles or about 140 kilometers off Palawan, Sabina Shoal is a coral reef formation with a central lagoon surrounded by discontinuous shallow sections.

It is considered to be within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the 1982 UNCLOS.

READ: EXPLAINER: What is the Sabina Shoal and why is it important?

—KG, GMA Integrated News