Nations Plant Flags in South China Sea to Bolster Disputed Territorial Claims, Led by China and the Philippines
A Fresh Take:
Way back in April, 25's showdown between China and the Philippines over some unpopulated sandy bits in the South China Sea took a dramatic turn. The bone of contention, known as Sandy Cay, is a three-parcel piece of land in the Spratly Islands, sandwiched between Philippine-occupied Thitu Island and China's Subi Reef, a military-grade runway transformer.
The latest flare-up began when a Chinese state-owned newspaper flaunted photos of coast guard officers on Sandy Cay, brandishing their national flag towards the end of April. This was swiftly countered by the Philippines, who sent a joint coast guard, navy, and maritime police team to plant their flag on the very same sandbars.
The Philippine government's statement was brimming with pride, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining their sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea. The photos released by the government showed team members holding up their national flag high and proud.
The Chinese coast guard deemed this move as "illegal" and checked out the sandbars ostensibly to investigate and enforce measures. The specifics of these "enforcement measures" remain hazy, as China has yet to disclose them.
Meanwhile, Chinese officials claim that the Philippines attempted to build a structure on Sandy Cay way back in 2017. This accusation mirrors the ongoing tensions surrounding territorial claims.
The ongoing standoff comes during the annual Balikatan exercises, a joint military drill involving 9,000 US and 5,000 Philippine troops, with simulated ship sinkings and air raids intended to bolster deterrence in the South China Sea[4]. The disputes between China and the Philippines have also been identified as the top geopolitical concern for 51.6% of respondents in the State of Southeast Asia Survey 2025, reflecting risqué militarization and encroachment risks[5].
Nevertheless, both nations have been heating up the waters with frequent patrols and symbolic assertions, keeping the territorial tensions burning. Despite the escalating tensions, the Philippine National Security Council's assistant director general, Jonathan Malaya, assured that China has not seized Sandy Cay. He implored both nations to show restraint and avoid further stoking the already fervently charged waters.
Insights:
- Jonathon Malaya, assistant director general of the Philippine National Security Council, assured that China has not seized the sandbars[3].
- The standoff over Sandy Cay coincides with the annual Balikatan exercises, a joint military drill involving the US and the Philippines[4].
- Aggressive South China Sea behavior by China was the top geopolitical concern for 51.6% of regional respondents, according to the State of Southeast Asia Survey 2025, citing militarization and encroachment risks[5].
- On Monday, the Philippine government conducted a flag-raising ceremony on the disputed sandbars in the South China Sea, known as Sandy Cay, emphasizing their sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.
- In response, the Chinese government claimed that the Philippines had attempted to build a structure on Sandy Cay in 2017, mirroring ongoing tensions surrounding territorial claims.
- Despite the Chinese coast guard calling the Philippine government's move illegal, the Philippines' National Security Council's assistant director general, Jonathan Malaya, assured that China has not seized Sandy Cay.
- The ongoing standoff between China and the Philippines over the sandbars in the South China Sea is the top geopolitical concern for 51.6% of respondents in the State of Southeast Asia Survey 2025, reflecting rising militarization and encroachment risks.
- The Philippine government has been urged to demonstrate restraint and avoid further escalating the territorial tensions in the South China Sea, where both nations have been engaged in frequent patrols and symbolic assertions.
