The European Union accused China of dangerous actions against Filipino ships on Sunday amid mutual allegations between Beijing and Manila over coastguard collisions.
"The EU condemns the dangerous action by Chinese coastguard vessels against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the area of the Sabina Shoal," Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said in a statement.
On Saturday, China and the Philippines blamed each other for allegedly causing these skirmishes near the contested atoll, following a series of multiple collisions and face-offs involving Chinese and Philippine vessels.
The incidents "endanger the safety of life at sea and violate the right to freedom of navigation to which all nations are entitled under international law," Ms. Massrali stressed, adding that "the EU condemns all unlawful, escalatory and coercive actions that undermine these principles of international law and threaten peace and stability in the region."
The European Union urges de-escalation of tensions and remains committed to supporting its partners who seek to exercise their legitimate rights, in the region and beyond, the spokesperson recalled.
The Sabine Shoal lies 86 miles from the Philippines’ west coast and 745 miles from China.
Historically, China has claimed nearly all of the South China Sea’s islets, facing rival claims from neighbouring countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia.
Since the ascension of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in 2022, Manila has been asserting its sovereignty claims more robustly over some contested reefs, in opposition to Beijing, which also refuses to yield on its claims.
