2024 Sabina shoal standoff: A timeline

Tensions rose between the Philippines and China in the Sabina Shoal after Manila deployed a ship there in April to monitor what it feared could be Beijing’s plan to reclaim land there. 

In response, Beijing denied Manila’s claims and accused it of illegally grounding the ship in the shoal to “forcefully occupy” the contested South China Sea atoll.

April 16: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sends its 97-meter ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, one of its largest and most modern vessels, to Sabina Shoal, citing suspected Chinese reclamation. Chinese ships continue their presence in the area.

May 11: Commodore Jay Tarriela, a PCG spokesman, said the Philippine ship was able to stop China’s apparent reclamation efforts in the shoal.  

June 4, 5: PCG accompanies Filipino scientists to conduct research in Sabina Shoal. Philippine officers said the scientists and crew were subjected to harassment by China Coast Guard and People’s Liberation Army Navy ships, which were conducting their first-ever drills within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

June 8: Filipino scientists Fernando Siringan and Jonathan Anticamara report extensive damage and bleaching of the coral reefs in Sabina Shoal. Siringan says more data is needed to identify if the coral rubbles in the area are “fully natural or partially man-made.” Anticamara calls the extensive damage and bleaching of the coral reefs in the shoal an “ecological disaster.” 

June 31: Three 44-meter PCG ships stop near the BRP Teresa Magbanua. No reported collisions or encounters with Chinese ships. 

July 3: China Coast Guard’s so-called monster ship, a 12,000-ton vessel, arrives near Sabina Shoal. It stayed there for weeks and would return in August.

Aug. 19: Two 44-meter PCG ships are rammed by Chinese ships about 23 miles southeast of Sabina Shoal, according to Philippine authorities. Manila said the ships were meant to go to other occupied features in the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s name for its South China Sea territories – but Beijing refused to believe this claim.

Aug. 25: A ship from Manila’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is surrounded by almost a dozen Chinese ships and was attacked by water cannons, according to Philippine authorities.

Aug. 26: Forty Chinese ships allegedly block two PCG ships from resupplying the BRP Teresa Magbanua. 

Aug. 27: Because of the blockade, supplies for crew members of the BRP Teresa Magbanua are at a critical level, according to the PCG.

Aug. 28: The Philippines uses a helicopter to resupply its ship in the shoal. China warns the Philippines against future similar attempts. 

Aug. 29: China releases its first survey report of Sabina Shoal, saying there is no scientific or factual basis for the alleged reef damage as claimed by the Philippines.

Aug. 31: The PCG reports Chinese forces ramming the BRP Teresa Magbanua “unprovoked,” causing significant damage to its hull. Beijing releases a video blaming Manila for the collision. 

Sept. 15: PCG pulls the BRP Teresa Magbanua from Sabina Shoal, citing bad weather and humanitarian concerns. Some crew members are seen on stretchers, suffering dehydration from the lack of food and water.