The Chinese coast guard raised a flag on the disputed Sandy Cay Reef in the South China Sea near the Philippine outpost — Thitu Island. This increases the risk of clashes over Beijing's potential control of territorial waters, reports Financial Times citing a report from Chinese CCTV. The video description states that Chinese coast guard officers raised the Chinese flag on the reef, as shown in the footage, to "proclaim sovereignty and gather video evidence of illegal activities by the Philippine side." According to the report, the Chinese coast guard "exercised maritime control and sovereign jurisdiction" over Sandy Cay Reef this month.
Sandy Cay is located just a few kilometers from the Philippine island of Thitu, which hosts one of Manila's most important military bases. This island is a sandbar covering just over 200 sq. m, but for China, it holds strategic significance because international law grants it sovereignty over the sea of this territory, notes FT. The seizure increases the risk of escalating conflict between China and the Philippines amid the largest US-Philippine military exercises in the region.
As the publication notes, there are currently no signs of a permanent Chinese presence on Sandy Cay or its development. A representative of the Philippine maritime security service stated that the Chinese coast guard left the island after raising the flag there. However, Beijing's declaration of sovereignty means that China may "intensify its oppression against us in Pag-asa," he emphasized, using the Philippine name for Thitu Island.
For the first time in many years, Beijing has officially established its flag on a previously unoccupied piece of land in the South China Sea. This move increases the risk of new confrontation in the region. In particular, since Beijing now considers the waters around Sandy Cay as its territorial sea, the risk of collision with Philippine military from Thitu Island increases, as Chinese law allows the coast guard to stop and inspect foreign vessels "intruding" into the waters and detain their crews.