Tensions Escalate at Sabina Shoal Amid Territorial Dispute

China's coast guard is monitoring Philippine vessels around the contested Sabina Shoal, citing its 'indisputable sovereignty' over the area. Philippine patrol and fishing boats have gathered near a ship China claims is illegally stranded, causing tensions over territorial rights in the South China Sea.

China's coast guard announced it is monitoring Philippine patrol and fishing vessels that have convened around the disputed Sabina Shoal. This move underscores China's assertion of 'indisputable sovereignty' over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

A spokesperson, Gan Yu, revealed that the vessels had been under surveillance since Saturday. Gan noted that patrol boats from the Philippine Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Bureau, along with multiple fishing boats, are situated near a ship China has accused of being 'illegally stranded' at the shoal.

The Chinese coast guard stressed that the stranded ship infringes upon China's territorial and maritime rights and jeopardizes peace and stability in the region. The contested area is known as Xianbin Reef in China, while the Philippines refers to it as Escoda Shoal.

(With inputs from agencies.)