On 20 October, China’s Southern Theatre Command stated that the US vessel USS Charleston had entered the waters near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands without Beijing’s permission, and that Chinese forces had been tracking it. At the time of publication, the US Navy had not commented on this statement.
Briefly about the main points
- The Chinese military reported that the USS Charleston had passed near Sabina Shoal.
- Beijing claims that Chinese forces were tracking the American ship.
- At the time of reporting, the US Navy had not commented on China’s statement.
- Incidents near Dongshan in Taiwan have been confirmed for 16 and 18 October.
What the Chinese military said
According to a statement from the PRC’s Southern Theatre Command, USS Charleston entered the waters near Sabina at dawn on 20 October without the consent of the Chinese authorities. The command described the vessel’s actions as a violation of China’s sovereign rights and interests and stated that they undermine maritime security and regional stability.
The Chinese side has reported that it has deployed forces to escort and monitor the vessel. The US side has not confirmed the purpose of this passage; therefore, there are no grounds for describing the USS Charleston’s specific mission as an operation to ensure freedom of navigation.
Why is the Sabina Shoal a sensitive issue?
Sabina Shoal is situated in the Spratly Islands archipelago in the South China Sea. China and the Philippines have conflicting claims to both this area and the wider Spratly Islands region.
The US and the Philippines are bound by a mutual defence treaty. The US State Department has previously stated that its provisions apply to an armed attack on Philippine forces, government vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea.
In September, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese vessel had rammed a Philippine boat that was on a supply mission near Sabina. China blamed the Philippine side for the collision.
Selected incidents near the Dunsha Islands
The incident near Sabina took place in a different part of the South China Sea to the recent activity by Chinese vessels near the Taiwan-controlled Dongshan Islands, also known as the Pratas. The Taiwan Coast Guard is responsible for security operations in this area.
On 16 October, the Taiwanese Coastguard stated that Chinese vessels No. 3301 and No. 3303 had entered restricted waters near Dongshan. Taiwanese vessels began escorting them and issued radio warnings.
On 18 October, the Taiwan Coastguard reported new coordinated activity by Chinese vessels. Off Dongshan, the vessels Qijin and Taichung were escorting No. 3301 and No. 3303, and around midday the Chinese vessels left the restricted waters.
