China seizes disputed reef near Philippines' key military outpost
Photo: China’s military seized reef near the Philippines (Getty Images)
The Chinese military has landed on the uninhabited disputed Sandy Cay reef in the South China Sea. It is located just a few kilometers from the Philippines' most important military outpost on Thitu Island, reports the Financial Times.
CCTV announced today that the China Coast Guard "implemented maritime control and exercised sovereign jurisdiction" over the disputed Sandy Cay reef this month.
Specifically, coast guard officers raised the Chinese flag, declaring sovereignty over the reef in the Spratly Islands region. Chinese television also published a corresponding photo.
Photo: China’s military unfurled the national flag on Sandy Cay
According to the Financial Times, this is the first time in years that Beijing, which claims nearly the entire South China Sea, has officially raised its flag on previously unoccupied territory.
The reef was seized during joint military exercises between the Philippines and the US, known as Balikatan. These are the largest annual drills, set to begin next week near the Spratly Islands.
Why Sandy Cay matters
Sandy Cay is just a sandbar, slightly more than 200 square meters in size, notes the Financial Times. However, it holds strategic importance for China, as international law grants it a 12-mile territorial zone around the reef.
This zone overlaps with Thitu Island in the South China Sea, which the Philippines uses to monitor Chinese activity in the region.
Photo: Thitu Island, home to the Philippine military outpost (maps.google.com)
The Philippine Coast Guard has been operating from a military base on Thitu Island since the end of 2023. They are currently upgrading the runway and other infrastructure. According to the Financial Times, this is part of a strategy to enhance the reefs' usability in countering China's aggressive policies.
Conflicts between China and the Philippines
Conflicts between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea have been ongoing for years due to territorial claims over strategically important reefs and islands.
China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, but its claim contradicts international maritime law. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China's claims were illegal and confirmed the Philippines' rights to parts of the maritime area. However, Beijing rejected the ruling.
Tensions between China and the Philippines periodically flare up due to incidents involving the Chinese coast guard and Philippine patrols, as well as attempts to block access to disputed areas.
Last year, Beijing and Manila clashed over another disputed area in the South China Sea – the Second Thomas Shoal, which is officially part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. However, in July 2024, the parties reached an agreement they hoped would end the conflict.
