| Disputed: | yes |
| Sabina Shoal | |
| Type: | atoll |
| Other Names: | Bãi Sa Bin (Vietnamese) Buhanginan ng Escoda (Filipino) Escoda Shoal (Philippine English) 仙賓礁 / 仙宾礁 Xiānbīn Jiāo (Chinese) |
| Pushpin Map: | Spratly Islands relief |
| Location: | South China Sea |
| Coordinates: | 9.75°N 144°W |
| Archipelago: | Spratly Islands |
Sabina Shoal, also known as Bãi Sa Bin (Vietnamese: Bãi Sa Bin); Escoda Shoal (Filipino; Pilipino: Buhanginan ng Escoda); Xianbin Jiao, is a disputed atoll in the North East of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands. It is claimed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. All of whom claim the Spratly Islands in their entirety.
Sabina Shoal is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It lies in position 09° 45' N 116° 28' E,[1] 123.6 nautical miles from Palawan Island.[2] It is situated 56 nautical miles southwest of Carnatic Shoal, with two main parts and an area of 115km2.
The eastern half of Sabina Shoal consists of reefs awash, while the western half consists of banks 3.7m to 8.3mm (12.1feet to 27.2feetm) deep, and reefs enclosing a lagoon.[3]
The reefs are a disputed low-tide elevation in the Spratly Islands, that are claimed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Because determining sovereignty of disputed features is beyond UNCLOS' jurisdiction and all claimants have not reached an agreement, the legal question of its ownership remains unresolved today in the South China Sea disputes.[4] [5]
In 1995, soon after occupying Mischief Reef, China (PRC) installed three buoys near Sabina Shoal. They were confiscated by the Philippines.[6]
On April 27, 2021, during a joint maritime patrol operations of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the area, seven Chinese maritime militia vessels were spotted anchored at the atoll. After several challenges from of the PCG, the militia vessels left the area.[7] [8]
On the Independence Day of the Philippines in 2024, Rear Admiral Armando Balilo of the PCG, aboard in that part of the South China Sea called by the Philippines the West Philippine Sea, held a flag-raising ceremony claiming Sabina Shoal for the Philippines.[9] China responded with a vow to take "strong measures" against the Philippines.[10]
The day after a clash between the two coast guards near the shoal on August 19, the Philippine government stated it was examining expanding the provisional agreement that had been established to de-escalate tensions near the Second Thomas Shoal to other areas.[11]