Philippines to Send Replacement Ship to South China Sea’s Contested Reef

The Philippines said on Sunday that it will dispatch another ship to Sabina Shoal after one of its largest coast guard vessels completed a nearly five-month mission at a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
Lopez highlighted Manila’s commitment to maintaining a continuous presence at the Sabina Shoal, which is asserted by the Chinese regime as part of its sweeping territory claims in the South China Sea.
Citing an order from the Philippine Coast Guard chief, Lopez said another vessel would “immediately take over,” without giving details. “Definitely, we will keep our presence there.”
The Philippines deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua to the Sabina Shoal in April and, citing the discovery of crushed corals on the sandbars, they suspected Beijing was building an artificial island there. Sabina Shoal, situated approximately 75 nautical miles west of Palawan, falls within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under international law.
Throughout its deployment, BRP Teresa Magbanua “challenged an encirclement by a larger flotilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, with her crew surviving on diminished daily provisions,” Bersamin said.
The vessel’s return was necessary for the medical needs of its crew and to undergo repairs, and once it has been resupplied and repaired, it will resume its mission, along with other coast guard and military assets “as defenders of our sovereignty,” Bersamin added.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction with the Philippines’s presence in the area, which it claims ownership as Xianbin Reef.
China confirmed Teresa Magbanua’s departure on Sunday, saying the Philippines vessel “withdrew” from Xianbin Reef.
Liu added that Beijing would continue to carry out what they called “rights protection and law enforcement activities” in the water it claimed.
Senior officials from the Philippines and China held talks in Beijing days ago, as Manila seeks to explore ways of de-escalating the situation. Both sides vowed to stick to their positions on Sabina Shoal.
According to Beijing’s readout, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong demanded the Philippine side to “immediately withdraw relevant vessels” and pledged to “firmly safeguard its sovereignty.”
“Both sides agreed to continue discussions on areas of cooperation, especially on hotline mechanisms, coast guard cooperation, and marine scientific and technological cooperation,” it added.