SINGAPORE: China’s national flag was recently unfurled on a disputed reef in the South China Sea by its uniformed troops, an act broadcast by state media in what analysts believe to be a first public display in decades of what had previously been quiet actions.
In contrast with how Chinese fishermen, maritime militia, and even civilian groups have planted flags on disputed reefs, rocks, and islands in the contentious waterway since the 1990s, observers say China’s latest move is a pointed show of control aimed at reflecting its readiness to confront potential escalation amid rising tensions with the United States.
They add that the move carried out on Sandy Cay – a string of three uninhabited sandbars near a Philippine military outpost in the disputed Spratly Islands – also aims to reassure domestic audiences that Beijing remains firm on core interests such as sovereignty – and to portray strength as external pressure mounts.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on April 25 that its coast guard had landed on Sandy Cay “as part of maritime control operations to assert Beijing’s sovereignty”.
The broadcaster said the coast guard had “implemented control” over what it refers to as Tiexian Reef, part of the Sandy Cay feature. Footage showed four personnel in black combat gear holding the Chinese national flag after arriving on the reef aboard an inflatable dinghy.
On April 28, the Philippine Coast Guard released a photo of its personnel raising the national flag on the disputed reef. It said the mission was carried out pre-dawn the day before – a move seen as a direct rebuttal to China’s sovereignty claim.
The developments come amid the largest-ever joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines in nearby waters. They also follow a recent visit to Asia by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who pledged to strengthen defence ties with Manila and “restore deterrence” in the face of what Washington views as growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
“For now, it’s mostly symbolic. It’s very low level, petty provocations, from (both sides) … It has not reached a stage where it is alarming, yet,” said Adib Zalkapli, Managing Director of Viewfinder Global Affairs and a geopolitical analyst specialising in the Indo-Pacific.
But it’s also a sign of China drawing a line in the sand to state its firm position over the territorial disputes and external pressures, said other analysts.
“It’s a warning for the Philippines (against) further developing closer defence relations with the US … It’s a signal to say, look, this is what we can do to counter you,” said Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow in the Southeast Asia programme at the Lowy Institute.
CALIBRATED CONFRONTATION
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, a position that overlaps with those of several countries and territories, and goes against a 2016 international tribunal ruling, which rejected Beijing’s entitlements over the disputed islands and waters.
Sandy Cay lies near Thitu Island, the biggest and most strategically significant outpost held by the Philippines in the Spratly Islands. It is among the island chains, reefs and rocks in the South China Sea where China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan maintain overlapping territorial claims.
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