China says its ships didn’t damage South China Sea reef, but Philippine coastguard did
A report by a government ministry dismisses Manila’s claims Chinese ships have damaged coral reefs and tries to turn the tables
China has accused Manila of making “baseless claims” that it had damaged coral reefs in the disputed Sabina Shoal as it published a report that said a Philippine coastguard ship was instead causing environmental damage.
Earlier this year, the Philippines discovered mounds of dead and crushed coral that had been dumped on Sabina’s sandbars underwater and said this was the result of Chinese land reclamation activities, something Beijing denied at the time.
One of the most advanced Philippine coastguard ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, has been stationed off the shoal since April – in part to deter any Chinese land reclamation efforts.
The report produced by three subsidiaries of the Ministry of Natural Resources was published on Friday, a day after China told the Philippines to “immediately withdraw” the ship.
Chinese and Philippine coastguards have been involved in a series of clashes near disputed features in recent months. The confrontations near Sabina Shoal have become more frequent and intense in recent weeks, including collisions between ships and China using water cannons against Philippine vessels.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said a two-month investigation into ecological conditions around the shoal had concluded that China had not damaged the reef and instead pointed the finger at the Teresa Magbanua.
