China said on Tuesday it deployed naval forces to track and monitor a US warship that sailed on the waters off Sabina Shoal, that is within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, claiming that the ship allegedly entered waters adjacent to the feature without Beijing’s approval.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said the US littoral combat ship USS Charleston ‘illegally intruded’ into waters near Sabina Shoal, known in China as Xianbin Jiao, prompting Chinese forces to respond.
The PLA said it dispatched forces to track and monitor the US vessel ‘in accordance with laws and regulations’ and accused Washington of ‘infringing on China’s sovereignty and undermining regional stability.’
China further urged the United States to cease such operations, saying its forces remain on high alert to safeguard what Beijing describes as its sovereignty and maritime interests.
The US military had not immediately issued a public response to the Chinese statement.
Sabina Shoal, also known as Escoda Shoal, lies approximately 75 nautical miles west of Palawan and within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. The maritime feature has become one of the most contentious flashpoints in the South China Sea amid recurring confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
Its strategic value stems from its location near major sea lanes and its proximity to Second Thomas or Ayungin Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a military outpost aboard the grounded BRP Sierra Madre. Analysts say control of the area enhances maritime surveillance and influence over vessel movements across the central portion of the South China Sea.
In an article published Tuesday, Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times said Sabina Shoal occupies a strategically important position because of its location along international shipping routes. The report also argued that the US operation reflected continued strategic competition between Washington and Beijing in the disputed waterway.
The latest incident comes amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea, where the Philippines, China and several other countries have overlapping territorial and maritime claims. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a position rejected by a 2016 arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.