In a provocative move, China has planted its flag on Sandy Cay, a tiny but strategic reef just kilometers from the Philippines’ key military outpost in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard declared “maritime control and sovereign jurisdiction” over the Spratly Islands reef this month, escalating tensions with rival claimant Manila, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The flag-raising, captured in a striking photograph, marks the first time in years that Beijing—claiming nearly the entire South China Sea—has officially staked a new land feature. The timing is no coincidence, as the Philippines and its ally, the US, gear up for their massive Balikatan military drills next week, including coastal defense and island seizure exercises near the Spratlys.
Sandy Cay, a mere 200-square-meter sandbank, holds outsized importance. Under international law, it commands a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea, overlapping with Thitu Island, Manila’s critical vantage point for monitoring Chinese moves. Beijing’s bold sovereignty claim has sparked fears it may ramp up reclamation or harassment around Thitu, where the Philippines is upgrading its runway and infrastructure to counter China’s growing aggression.
While no permanent Chinese presence or construction has been spotted on Sandy Cay yet, a Philippine official confirmed the Chinese coastguard left after the flag stunt. Still, China’s domestic laws empower its coastguard to board and detain foreign vessels in claimed waters, raising the specter of clashes near Thitu.
China’s military muscle dwarfs the Philippines’ Thitu outpost. Nearby Subi Reef, a heavily militarized Chinese base with missiles, radar, and a deepwater port, underscores Beijing’s dominance. Yet, as a low-tide elevation, Subi lacks the territorial sea Sandy Cay provides, making China’s latest move a calculated power play.
As Manila bolsters its South China Sea presence and the US-backed Balikatan drills loom, the region braces for potential new flashpoints in this high-stakes maritime chess game.
