Beijing: China has announced that it has taken control of a disputed reef near a major Philippines military outpost in the South China Sea, according to state media. The state broadcaster CCTV reported that China has 'enforced maritime management and exercised sovereign jurisdiction' over an uninhabited reef in the contested region.
According to Anadolu Agency, images released by CCTV showed China Coast Guard officers unfurling the flag as part of an effort to effectively seize the Sandy Cay reef, referred to by Beijing as Tiexian Jiao, earlier this month. The reef is also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. CCTV stated that the coast guard landed "on Tiexian Jiao to exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction" over the reef, carry out an "inspection," and "collect video evidence regarding the illegal activities of the Philippines side."
The move by China coincides with joint military drills between the Philippines and the United States, which Beijing has criticized as "destabilizing." Citing an unnamed Philippines maritime official, The Financial Times reported that the Chinese Coast Guard had left after unfurling the flag, suggesting that the action was not a permanent seizure.
Following China's seizure of Sandy Cay, Philippine security forces deployed personnel on Sunday in an operation to reinforce control over several small islands near Thitu Island, as reported by the Manila Times citing a statement. The statement from the Philippine National Task Force emphasized the operation's demonstration of "the unwavering dedication and commitment of the Philippine government to uphold its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" in the South China Sea.
The statement further added that the operation "reinforces the Philippines' adherence to a rules-based international order and its commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes." Thitu Island, located just a few kilometers from Sandy Cay, is central to the ongoing tensions between China and the Philippines, who have been locked in a months-long confrontation over the contested waters, each accusing the other of causing ecological degradation of several disputed landforms in the South China Sea.