The Philippines on Monday rejected China’s claim to a group of three sandbars in the South China Sea, after recent displays by both sides of their national flags on the uninhabited outcroppings.
The back and forth over Sandy Cay is the latest flare-up in a long-running dispute over territory in the hotly contested South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety.
The flare-up began last week when a Chinese state-owned newspaper posted exclusive photos of coast guard officers on Sandy Cay from mid-April, including one of them holding up a Chinese flag, reports AP from BEIJING.
Photo: Collected
Three days later, a joint Philippines coast guard, navy and maritime police team headed on Sunday to the three sandbars and posed for a photo holding up their national flag.
“This operation reflects the unwavering dedication and commitment of the Philippine Government to uphold the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” a government statement said. It was posted on X with a video and photos, including one showing team members holding up the Philippine flag.
The sandbars are in the Spratly islands between Philippine-occupied Thitu Island and Subi Reef, which China has transformed into a base with a military-grade runway and buildings with communications facilities.
Jonathan Malaya, the assistant director general of the Philippine National Security Council, said Monday that there is no truth to claims that China has seized the sandbars.