World News | China and Philippines Display Their Flags on Disputed South China Sea Outcropping
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. China says six Filipinos landed on a tiny outcropping that both countries claim in the South China Sea, days after photos emerged of Chinese coast guard officers displaying a Chinese flag on the same group of sandbars.
Beijing, Apr 28 (AP) China says six Filipinos landed on a tiny outcropping that both countries claim in the South China Sea, days after photos emerged of Chinese coast guard officers displaying a Chinese flag on the same group of sandbars.
The back and forth over Sandy Cay is the latest flare-up in a long-running dispute between the two countries over territory in the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety.
A Chinese coast guard statement described the Philippine landing on Sunday as “illegal” and said that Chinese officers had gone ashore “to conduct on-site verification and enforcement measures.” It didn't specify what those steps entailed.
A Philippine statement said that a joint coast guard, navy and maritime police team on rubber dinghies had landed on the three sandbars that make up Sandy Cay, known as Tiexian Reef in Chinese.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Philippine coast guard spokesperson, posted the statement on X with a video and photos, including one showing personnel displaying a Philippine flag on one of the sandbars.
“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," the statement said.
The move came three days after the Global Times, a Chinese state-owned newspaper, published photos of Chinese coast guard officers on Tiexian Reef in mid-April holding up a Chinese flag and cleaning up plastic bottles and other debris.
The Chinese coast guard statement on the subsequent Philippine landing said that China holds “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly islands, including Tiexian Reef and the surrounding waters. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)