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China Declares Jurisdiction Over South China Sea Reef Amid US-Philippines War Games

© US Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Isaiah CampbellU.S. Marines serving with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and Philippine Marines serving with 58th Marine Corps, 8th Marine Battalion, engage targets on a live-fire range at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Philippines, April 6, 2019, during Exercise Balikatan.
U.S. Marines serving with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and Philippine Marines serving with 58th Marine Corps, 8th Marine Battalion, engage targets on a live-fire range at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Philippines, April 6, 2019, during Exercise Balikatan. - Sputnik International, 1920, 27.04.2025
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The China Coast Guard has raised the Chinese flag over a disputed Spratly Islands reef for the first time in many years.
China has declared "sovereign jurisdiction" over Sandy Cay reef, according to a report by Chinese media outlet CCTV on April 26.
The reef is located several kilometers from Thitu Island, which has been used by the Philippine Coast Guard since 2023 to monitor China's activities in the area.
China’s claim to Sandy Cay effectively grants it a 12-nautical-mile radius of maritime territory that overlaps with Thitu, the Financial Times reports, citing concerns about rising Sino-Philippines tensions.
China's move comes amid Balikatan, the joint US-Philippines naval drill - the largest annual exercise focusing on coastal defense and island seizure training. The exercise also takes place in parts of the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
The US and the Philippines intensified military cooperation since 2022 under the administration of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.
In February 2023, the US and the Philippines revitalized their enhanced defense cooperation agreement (EDCA), granting the Pentagon access to nine strategic Philippine military bases and enhancing the US military presence in the region.
Panavia Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon и McDonnell Douglas F-15С jets Королевских Военно-воздушных сил Саудовской Аравии на 2-й Всемирной оборонной выставке World Defense Show в Эр-Рияде - Sputnik International, 1920, 23.12.2024
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