By: Annabelle Pan

Graphics Editor 

China and the Philippines both stake their claim on islands and zones in the South China Sea, and their contention over the rightful ownership of the zones often leads to heated disputes. Over the years, their dispute has escalated into physical violence, including vessel collisions and fights. The Sabina Shoal and the Second Thomas Shoal are islands in the Spratly Islands archipelago, rich in oil and gas. China claims the Sabina Shoal as Xianbin Jia, and the Philippines claim it as Escoda Shoal. The Sabina Shoal is about 86 miles away from the Philippines coast and 725 miles from China’s coast.

On Aug. 19, 2024, multiple Chinese and Philippine vessels collided near the Sabina Shoal. The Chinese claim that the Philippine ship “deliberately collided” into the Chinese ships, while the Philippines claim the Chinese vessels conducted “aggressive maneuvers,” causing the collision. However, this was not the first collision between the two countries. In June of this year, there was a confrontation between the Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine ships near the Second Thomas Shoal.

On Aug. 25, another round of collisions occurred, and, once again, both sides blamed each other. The following day, the two countries had another confrontation. The Philippines claimed that 40 Chinese ships prevented their two supply boats from restocking the Teresa Magbuana, a Philippine coast guard ship. China argued that it acted lawfully and its “maneuvers on the spot were professional and appropriate.” Eventually, the Teresa Magbuana received its supplies via helicopter.

Another major point of conflict between China and the Philippines is a decrepit World War II era ship sent by the Philippines in 1999 to the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines sends supplies and food via ships to several soldiers still stationed there. China believes that, since the ship has been there for 25 years, the Philippines are attempting to pick a fight or take over. In multiple confrontations, China used powerful water cannons and lasers on Philippine ships. The Filipinos also accuse the Chinese of actually boarding the boat, causing more fighting, stealing, and puncturing inflatable vessels. The Philippines recently accused the Chinese Coast Guards of climbing onto the Filipino ship and threatening the soldiers with sharp weapons.

Even though both stand firm on their claims of the Spratly Islands, China and the Philippines are making efforts to de-escalate the conflicts at sea. China let the Philippines restock their outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal, and both are trying to reach a deal or compromise.

(Sources: BBC, Council on Foreign Relations, VOA News)