China holds National Day ceremony in waters off atoll claimed by Manila

China’s coast guard held a National Day flag-raising ceremony on a ship in the waters off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, vowing to “stand guard” over the atoll, a major flashpoint for diplomatic flareups and maritime clashes with the Philippines.

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Both countries claim the triangular feature in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, but it is effectively under Beijing’s control. In September, China infuriated Manila with a plan to set up a “national” nature reserve there.

Coast guard officers standing in formation on the rear deck of the patrol vessel Dahao (3304) saluted as the Chinese flag was raised, a video showed in a coast guard posting on Oct 1 on Douyin, known as TikTok outside China.