This significantly increases the risks of a new escalation in the region.

This is reported by the Financial Times.

According to the Chinese state television CCTV, the Chinese Coast Guard "introduced maritime control" and installed a national flag on the reef. Beijing has also announced the exercise of its "sovereign right" over this area of the Spratly Archipelago.

This is the first time in recent years that China has officially set up its flag in a new previously unoccupied territory in disputed waters.

The situation is escalating against the background of the planned annual military exercises of the Philippines and the United States, including coastal defense training and the capture of islands in the region near the Spratly Archipelago.

Although Sandy Cay is just a small sandy area of just over 200 square meters, it is of strategic importance to China, as international law grants it a territory in the sea with a radius of 12 nautical miles. This territory includes Titu Island, a reef in the South China Sea that the Philippines uses to track Chinese movements in the area.

Manila is actively strengthening Titu, modernizing its infrastructure to strengthen its presence in the region against the backdrop of China's increasingly aggressive actions.

So far, there are no signs of China's permanent presence on Sandy Cay: after the flag was set, the Chinese Coast Guard left the territory. At the same time, over the past two years, the Philippines has increased patrols in the region and is monitoring possible land reclamation attempts by China.

Experts believe that Beijing is unlikely to actively seize new territories, as it already has a powerful military presence on artificial islands, in particular, on the Subi Reef, where an airstrip, missiles and hangar complexes have been built. oxu.az.