Collision near Sabina Shoal sparks fresh escalation between China and the Philippines
Por Laura Zhou — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement South China Sea China Diplomacy Collision near Sabina Shoal sparks fresh escalation between China and the Philippines
Two sides blame each other for deliberate ramming near the contested atoll in the South China Sea, fuelling tensions over strategic waterway
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Laura Zhou Published: 6:30pm, 18 Sep 2026 China and the Philippines exchanged blame over a clash on Friday in disputed waters in the South China Sea , further fuelling tensions over the strategic waterway that has become a dangerous regional flashpoint.
In a brief statement released on Friday afternoon, China’s coastguard accused a Philippine vessel of deliberately ramming a Chinese patrol vessel near the contested Sabina Shoal.
“Philippine vessel No 3015 intentionally adjusted its course and suddenly accelerated to cut across the bow of the Chinese coastguard vessel, resulting in a collision,” said Jiang Lue, a Chinese coastguard spokesman.
Manila’s actions “severely violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, endangering the safety of Chinese vessels and personnel”, Jiang added.
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