Phl denies China claim of seizing Sandy Cays

The Philippines has accused China of falsely claiming it had taken control of a sandbank near Pag-asa Island in the South China Sea over the weekend.

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A joint operation by several law enforcement units on Sunday morning confirmed none of the three Pag-asa Cays showed signs of being occupied or controlled by China, contrary to reports of Chinese state media, National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said on Monday, April 28.

The Pag-asa Cays, or the Sandy Cays, refer to three small coalescing sand bars located less than 3.5 nautical miles from Pag-asa Island. This means it falls within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Pag-asa Island, which Philippine officials say establishes the country’s sovereignty over the area under international law.

“There is no truth whatsoever to the claim of the Chinese Coast Guard that the Pag-asa Cays have been seized,” Malaya said during a press conference in Manila. “The facts on the ground do not support this statement.”