Territorial dispute between China and the Philippines intensify

The conflict between China and the Philippines over sovereignty over the Spratly Islands (Chinese name: Spratly Islands) in the South China Sea is intensifying. As the two countries clashed four times in this area last month, the conflict between the United States, which is an ally of the Philippines, and China is also increasing as well. U.S. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited Beijing, China from Tuesday to Thursday to ease tensions in the South China Sea, but little progress has been made.

On Saturday, “A Philippine Coast Guard ship anchored near Xianbinjiao (Sabina Reef) in the Spratly Islands, an act of provocation. It intentionally collided with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel taking warning and control measures,” wrote the Chinese Coast Guard on its social media channel on Saturday.

On the same day, the Philippine Coast Guard held a press conference and countered the claim, saying that the Chinese Coast Guard vessel caused damage to a Philippine vessel with dangerous movements. A video was also released showing 10 Chinese ships surrounding a Philippine coast guard ship and ramming the side of the ship.

Sabina Reef is approximately 200 kilometers northwest of Palawan Island, the Philippines. Originally, the largest territorial dispute in the Spratly Islands was the ‘Second Thomas Reef’ (Chinese name: Renaijiao), where a Philippine warship vessel had been stranded. Sabina Reef rose to the center of attention for dispute when the Philippines dispatched a coast guard ship in May this year in response to the news that China was planning to turn Sabina Reef into an artificial island. The area is known to be rich in natural gas and other resources.

The U.S. State Department supported the Philippines on Saturday, claiming that China is illegally claiming maritime territorial sovereignty, threatening the freedom of other countries with its aggressive actions. Washington reiterated that the mutual defense treaty between the United States and the Philippines also applies to the South China Sea.


Chul-Jung Kim tnf@donga.com