"Raising the Five-starred Red Flag on Our Land?"... Philippines Responds in Kind to Chinese Provocation

Philippine Police Respond with Flag-Raising Photo Just Like Chinese Coast Guard
US and Philippines Begin Three-Week Joint Military Exercise

Recently, after Chinese Coast Guard personnel released a photo of themselves holding the Five-starred Red Flag on a small reef in the South China Sea (referred to as the West Philippine Sea by the Philippines), which is under territorial dispute with the Philippines, the Philippines responded in kind by releasing a similar photo. This comes as the United States and the Philippines are conducting their annual joint military exercises, further intensifying the territorial dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea.

On the 27th (local time), foreign media including the British BBC and the Financial Times (FT) cited China Central Television (CCTV) reporting that recently four Chinese coast guard officers dressed in black uniforms were seen holding the Five-starred Red Flag on the 'Sandy Cay' reef (Chinese name: Tiexianzao), a disputed area within the Spratly Islands (Chinese name: Nansha Islands, Vietnamese name: Truong Sa Islands, Philippine name: Kalayaan Islands). China Central Television (CCTV)

On the 27th (local time), foreign media including the British BBC and the Financial Times (FT) cited China Central Television (CCTV) reporting that four Chinese coast guard officers in black uniforms were recently seen holding the Five-starred Red Flag on the 'Sandy Cay' reef (Chinese name: Tiexianzao), a disputed area within the Spratly Islands (Chinese name: Nansha Islands, Vietnamese name: Truong Sa Islands, Philippine name: Kalayaan Islands). Sandy Cay is located near Thitu Island (Chinese name: Zhongye Dao, Philippine name: Pag-asa Island), which is the Philippines' most important outpost in the South China Sea. The Philippines is known to monitor Chinese military activities from Thitu Island.

In particular, CCTV emphasized that China had "exercised maritime control and asserted sovereign jurisdiction" over the reef earlier this month. In response, the Philippines announced that its security forces had landed on three reefs and, on the 27th, released photos of its personnel holding the national flag in a manner similar to the Chinese coast guard. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) stated that it had observed the 'illegal presence' of a Chinese coast guard vessel and seven Chinese militia vessels 914 meters from one of the reefs. However, according to the BBC, it was not confirmed whether any of the reefs where Philippine security forces landed included Sandy Cay, which was recently occupied by China. The BBC also reported that, as of now, there are no signs of a permanent Chinese presence on Sandy Cay and that the Chinese coast guard appears to have withdrawn.

China claims about 90% of the South China Sea

China claims sovereignty over about 90% of the South China Sea, leading to conflicts with Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. In March last year and January this year, Philippine vessels attempted marine surveys at Sandy Cay, and the Chinese coast guard responded by calling these actions "illegal landings," resulting in clashes.

Recently, Chinese Coast Guard personnel occupied a small reef in the South China Sea (called the West Philippine Sea by the Philippines) that is under territorial dispute with the Philippines and released a photo holding the Five-starred Red Flag. The Philippines responded in kind. NTF-WPS

In response, the Philippine military established a coast guard monitoring base on Thitu Island in 2023 to counter Chinese incursions. Since the 21st, the Philippines and the United States have begun their three-week annual joint military exercise, "Balikatan," which means "shoulder-to-shoulder," and on the 27th, they launched a surface-to-air missile. China has criticized the US-Philippines joint military exercises, claiming they "undermine regional strategic stability," and the Chinese government has accused the Philippines of "colluding with external countries."

Amid these developments, the Philippines also released a photo on the evening of the 27th showing its police holding the national flag in a similar manner on a sandbar in the South China Sea, in response to the Chinese coast guard's flag-raising photo. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) stated that a Chinese coast guard vessel was illegally stationed 914 meters from the sandbar, along with seven Chinese militia vessels. Frequent confrontations, including ship collisions and scuffles, occur between China and the Philippines, and recently, China has also installed artificial structures in the West Sea, claiming them to be fish farms, which has sparked a territorial dispute with South Korea.

After the Chinese coast guard raised their national flag, Philippine police took a photo in the same pose on a sandbar in the South China Sea. After the Chinese coast guard raised their national flag, Philippine police took a photo in the same pose on a sandbar in the South China Sea. The US National Security Council warned that the Chinese coast guard's landing on an uninhabited reef "threatens regional stability and violates international law," and the White House added that it is "closely consulting with its partners." Up to 17,000 troops are expected to participate in the Balikatan exercise, which is criticized by China.