China’s coast guard marked the country’s National Day with a flag-raising ceremony in the contested waters of the South China Sea, staging the event aboard a patrol vessel anchored off Scarborough Shoal, a territory also claimed by the Philippines.
Video footage posted on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, on Wednesday showed coast guard officers standing in formation on the rear deck of the Dahao (3304) as the Chinese flag was hoisted. The clip carried subtitles declaring: “We stand guard over these blue waters, assuring the nation of our unwavering commitment.”
The symbolic act comes amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila over the triangular atoll, which sits in one of the world’s busiest waterways. While both countries claim sovereignty, Scarborough Shoal has been effectively under Chinese control since 2012, when Beijing seized it following a standoff with the Philippine navy.
Since then, Chinese coast guard ships and fishing trawlers have maintained a near-permanent presence in the area.
In September, China angered Manila by proposing the creation of a “national” nature reserve around the shoal, further entrenching its administrative control. The Philippine coast guard has repeatedly challenged Chinese vessels for what it calls their “illegal presence” in the area, which the Philippines refers to as Panatag Shoal and Beijing calls Huangyan Island.
A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration sided with Manila, finding that China’s blockade violated international law by preventing access to traditional fishing grounds shared by the Philippines, Vietnam, and other regional nations.
However, the tribunal did not rule on sovereignty over the shoal itself.
Clashes in the waters have flared in recent years, including incidents involving water cannon, ramming of boats, and aggressive manoeuvres by Chinese coast guard ships, as well as the shadowing of Philippine aircraft by Chinese fighter jets.
Despite these confrontations, both sides have so far avoided direct armed conflict.
The Philippine coast guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest ceremony.
The Scarborough Shoal dispute remains one of the most volatile flashpoints in the South China Sea, underscoring broader regional tensions over China’s expansive maritime claims.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
