A new tension has emerged around Sabina Shoal, which is at the center of sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea. The Chinese military announced that it had dispatched naval forces to the region, alleging that the US Navy warship USS Charleston had entered waters near the Spratly Islands "illegally."
The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese military argued that the ship was in waters adjacent to Sabina Shoal without permission from the Chinese government. The statement claimed that this move by the US "violated China's sovereign rights and interests," endangered maritime security, and harmed regional stability.
The Beijing administration announced that the Chinese navy had taken action to monitor and inspect the US warship. The US Navy did not comment on the incident. Washington typically characterizes similar passages in the South China Sea as "freedom of navigation operations."
A spokesperson for the Philippine military stated that the US ship did not enter Chinese territory without authorization, adding that no country can impose a prior permission requirement for lawful passage in international waters.
Sabina Shoal is one of the areas that has long caused tension between China and the Philippines. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided with a Philippine boat conducting refueling near the same shoal last month. China, for its part, held the Philippine side responsible for the incident.
The Philippines, which has a mutual defense treaty with the US, claims rights over Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands. China, meanwhile, asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
TENSION ON THE TAIWAN LINE AS WELL
In a separate incident that occurred on the same day in the north of the region, the Taiwan Coast Guard announced that a Chinese Coast Guard ship had entered restricted waters near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.
According to Taiwanese authorities, a ship named "Taichung" was deployed to drive the Chinese vessel away from the area, and the parties exchanged radio warnings. Taiwan reported that the Chinese ship broadcasted, "The so-called Republic of China does not exist," to which the Taiwanese ship responded, "The Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign and independent country."
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident. Last week, the office had stated that Taiwan would "have to bear the consequences" for spraying a Chinese fishing boat with water cannons near Pratas.
News Source: 12punto
