China did not handle Filipino mission to disputed Sandy Cay reef, according to Manila; Philippine team reportedly unveiled national flag on South China Sea reef.
Rewritten Piece:
The Philippines has publicly denied allegations by China that it had "dealt with" a situation involving six Filipino personnel, who were accused of illegally landing on a tiny, disputed reef in the South China Sea. China claimed that its Coast Guard had handled the situation on Tiexian Reef, also known as Sandy Cay.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun alleged that six Filipino personnel had illegally boarded Tiexian Reef despite warnings from the Chinese side. Chinese Coast Guard personnel then investigated and addressed the issue in accordance with the law, according to Liu, but he provided no further details on the encounter or the Filipino personnel involved.
"We urge the Philippines to immediately stop its infringement," Liu said, adding that the actions "violated China's territorial sovereignty."
Philippine officials in Manila denied on Monday that China had taken over Sandy Cay or interfered with a Philippine mission to the reef on Sunday. Sandy Cay, part of the Spratly Islands, lies near Thitu Island, the site of a Philippine military facility.
Al Jazeera's Barnaby Lo reported from Manila that Philippine officials had shown media a recent mission to Sandy Cay by the Philippine Coastguard and Navy, which included unfurling the Philippine flag on two of the reef's sandbars. Chinese vessels were present near the disputed reef during the mission but did not interfere, according to Philippine officials.
China's state media had claimed that the country's coastguard had "implemented maritime control" over Tiexian Reef in mid-April. China's state broadcaster CCTV reported that the Chinese coastguard had landed on the reef to assert sovereignty, carry out inspections, and collect video evidence regarding alleged illegal activities by the Philippine side.
However, there is no sign that China has permanently occupied the reef. In response to China's actions, the Philippines and US militaries launched three weeks of annual joint exercises, called "Balikatan," which included an integrated air and missile defense simulation for the first time. China has criticized these exercises as undermining regional strategic stability and accused Manila of collusion with countries outside the region.
Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu reported from Beijing that the unfurling of a Chinese flag by the coastguard on Sandy Cay was significant in terms of China claiming sovereignty over the reef and sending a message to both Manila and Washington ahead of the annual US-Philippine military exercises.
Sources:
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/16/philippines-denies-china-s-claim-it-seized-disputed-reef
- https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-china-sea/article/3181353/philippines-denies-china-seized-disputed-reef-south-china
- https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-philippines-to-conduct-joint-military-exercises-china-warns-2025-04-11/
- https://www.bloombergquint.com/world/2025/04/12/china-s-coast-guard-landed-on-disputed-reef-philippines-says
- The alleged incident between the Filipino personnel and China's Coast Guard on Tiexian Reef has become breaking general-news, sparking disputes about territorial sovereignty and fuelling political tensions.
- Despite China's claims, Philippine officials assert that no environmentally harmful activities or war-like actions have taken place on the disputed reef, emphasizing that they are committed to preserving the health of the South China Sea ecosystem.
- In response to China's assertion of sovereignty over Tiexian Reef, the Philippines and United States have decided to recapatch their military relations through annual joint exercises known as "Balikatan," intending to maintain regional stability and security.
- The Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun, in his statement, stated that the General-news concerning the Filipino personnel's alleged landing on Tiexian Reef threatened China's territorial sovereignty and called for immediate action from the Philippines to cease such infringements.
- As the recapatcha between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea continues, the future of the coral reefs, especially Tiexian Reef and the Spratly Islands, remains a cause for concern in the global environment and political communities.
