Tensions rise as Beijing asserts control over contested Tiexian Reef

In April 2025, China engaged in a significant escalation of its territorial claims in the South China Sea by asserting control over Tiexian Reef, also known as Sandy Cay, a tiny sandbank that both China and the Philippines claim. The Chinese coastguard reported the implementation of maritime control and sovereign jurisdiction on the reef, prompting a response from the Philippines, which deployed a joint coast guard, navy, and maritime police team to the area. The Philippine forces landed on the three sandbars that form Sandy Cay, an operation reflecting their commitment to uphold sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea. The move came shortly after Chinese coastguard officers had been photographed displaying a Chinese flag and cleaning debris on the sandbank. This action has reignited tensions between the two nations, which have a long-standing dispute over various territories in the South China Sea, exacerbated by China's expansive territorial claims and naval activities in the region. The ongoing tension is further complicated by the timing of the operation, as it coincided with US and Philippine military drills, labeled by China as provocative. The Philippines maintains that these exercises are part of its national defense strategy and are not directed at any specific country. The tension surrounding Sandy Cay is indicative of the larger pattern of territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where multiple countries have staked claims, and where China's so-called nine-dash line delineates its asserted boundaries, leading to increased militarization and diplomatic friction in the region.