Sabina Shoal

Sabina Shoal

Disputed atoll
Sabina Shoal
Sabina Shoal
Other names	Buhanginan ng Escoda (Filipino) Escoda Shoal (Philippine English) Bãi Sa Bin (Vietnamese) 仙賓礁 / 仙宾礁 Xiānbīn Jiāo (Chinese)
Geography
Location	South China Sea / West Philippine Sea
Coordinates	9°45′N 116°28′E
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Claimed by
Philippines
Vietnam
Taiwan
China

Sabina Shoal, also known as Escoda Shoal (Filipino: Buhanginan ng Escoda); Bãi Sa Bin (Vietnamese: Bãi Sa Bin); Xianbin Jiao (Chinese: 仙賓礁/仙宾礁; pinyin: Xiānbīn Jiāo), is a disputed atoll in the northeast of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands. According to international law based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Philippines vs. China South China Sea Arbitration, Sabina Shoal lies within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

It is claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China. These countries claim the Spratly Islands either in part or their entirety.

Geography

Sabina Shoal is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It lies in position 09° 45' N 116° 28' E, 123.6 nautical miles from Palawan Island and lies within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. It is situated 56 nautical miles southwest of Carnatic Shoal, with two main parts and an area of 115 square kilometres (44 sq mi).

The eastern half of Sabina Shoal consists of reefs awash, while the western half consists of banks 3.7 to 8.3 metres (12 to 27 feet) deep, and reefs enclosing a lagoon.

Sovereignty

The reefs are a disputed low-tide elevation in the Spratly Islands, that are claimed by multiple states: the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China.

While determining sovereignty of disputed features is beyond the jurisdiction of UNCLOS according to Professor Robert Beckman of Nanyang Technological University, the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration by the international Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that the Philippines excercises sovereign rights over Sabina Shoal as part of its exclusive economic zone. According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "If an LTE (low-tide elevation) is located within maritime zones of a littoral state, such as territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf, it automatically belongs to that state."

China has refused to acknowledge the 2016 arbitration ruling, and instead claims the region as part of its Nine-dash line, which the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled as having no basis in international law.

Incidents

In 1995, soon after occupying Mischief Reef, China (PRC) installed three buoys near Sabina Shoal. They were confiscated by the Philippines.

On April 27, 2021, during a joint maritime patrol operations of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the area, seven Chinese maritime militia vessels were spotted anchored at the atoll. After several challenges from BRP Cabra of the PCG, the militia vessels left the area.

In response to the discovery of crushed corals found dumped at Sabina Shoal indicating reclamation activities by China, the PCG stationed the BRP Teresa Magbanua there in April. China responded by deploying its 12,000-ton 165 meter Coast Guard ship which is nicknamed "The Monster" because of its size.

On the Independence Day of the Philippines in 2024, Rear Admiral Armando Balilo of the PCG, aboard BRP Teresa Magbanua in that part of the South China Sea called by the Philippines the West Philippine Sea, held a flag-raising ceremony claiming Sabina Shoal for the Philippines. China responded with a vow to take "strong measures" against the Philippines.

The day after a clash between the two coast guards near the shoal on August 19, the Philippine government stated it was examining expanding the provisional agreement that had been established to de-escalate tensions near the Second Thomas Shoal to other areas.

Up to 71 Coast Guard ships and other vessels from China were seen at Sabina Shoal from August 27 to September 2, 2024.

Ramming of Philippine Coast Guard ship by China Coast Guard

On August 31, 2024, China Coast Guard vessel 5205 struck the port bow of the Philippines Coast Guard patrol ship BRP Teresa Magbanua, then turned around and struck its starboard quarter, turned around once more and struck its port bow. Parts of the Philippine Coast Guard ship were left with holes after the Chinese Coast Guard vessel's aggressive actions. Footage released on social media by Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela showed how the China Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed the Philippine Coast Guard patrol ship multiple times. This contradicted China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun's claims released hours earlier that “At 12:06, the Philippine ship deliberately rammed into the Chinese ship 5205 in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, causing a collision for which the Philippines bears full responsibility.” Tariella released further footage showing the damage to the Philippine ship, including a man-sized hole.

The United States, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and the European Union condemned China's repeated ramming of the Filipino vessel and denounced China's actions, demanding that China stop its aggression.

Environmental destruction

In September of 2023, a Philippine Coast Guard survey revealed massive damage to the marine environment and coral reef in Sabina Shoal. The presence of crushed corals in the reef indicated dumping and potential attempts at reclamation activities, similar to artificial islands created by China in the South China Sea, also known as the Great Wall of Sand. In May, 2024, the Philippine Coast Guard discovered more crushed corals at the shoal. Chinese maritime militia vessels were suspected as they were swarming the area with cabbage tactics prior to the environmental destruction.