Philippines: "China Appears to Build New Artificial Island in South China Sea... Dispatching Coast Guard Ships in Response"

The Philippine government announced that "it has detected signs of China constructing artificial islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea."

According to Bloomberg and other sources on the 12th (local time), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos issued a statement the previous day announcing the deployment of a coast guard vessel to monitor China's illegal artificial island construction activities at Sabina Shoal (known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines) in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.

Jay Tariella, a spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, explained that 'small-scale reclamation' activities were detected at Sabina Shoal, with China being the most likely party responsible. At this shoal, piles of broken dead coral fragments were found. Dozens of Chinese naval warships and marine survey vessels are present around this shoal, and the timing of their presence coincides with the discovery of the dead coral fragments.

Marcos Junior, President of the Philippines
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In response, the Philippine Coast Guard anchored a vessel at Sabina Shoal to capture and document scenes of dead coral fragments being dumped on the sandbar. Marine scientists were also brought in to verify whether the dead coral fragments resulted from artificial activities. Additionally, two more coast guard vessels will be rotated in to maintain a long-term presence.

Sabina Shoal is located about 200 km northwest of Palawan Island in western Philippines. It also serves as a gathering point for ships supplying the Philippine military forces stationed at Second Thomas Shoal (known as Ren'ai Jiao in China and Ayungin in the Philippines), the main disputed area between the Philippines and China.

China claims sovereignty over about 90% of the South China Sea and has experienced conflicts with neighboring countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. China has drawn the 'Nine-Dash Line' around the South China Sea and constructed artificial islands at various locations, turning them into military bases.