Beijing has not seized disputed South China Sea reef: Govt

MANILA: The Philippines said yesterday there was no truth to news reports that Beijing has seized control of a disputed reef in the South China Sea, after its personnel landed on the unoccupied sandbars and found no Chinese presence there.

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Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday said its coast guard had landed on Sandy Cay as part of maritime control operations to exercise its sovereignty. It did not say China was occupying the feature.

CCTV showed pictures of four coast guard personnel in black combat gear holding a Chinese flag after arriving on Sandy Cay on an inflatable dinghy.

Philippine National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya yesterday said news reports of China seizing Sandy Cay were false as a Philippine team had visited the sandbars on Sunday and found nobody there.

“The facts on the ground belie their statements,” Mr Malaya said.