BEIJING — China says six Filipinos landed on a tiny outcropping that both countries claim in the South China Sea , days after photos emerged of Chinese coast guard officers displaying a Chinese flag on the same group of sandbars.

Philippine Marines, National Police officers and Coast Guard members landed on three contested South China Sea features today to assert Manila’s maritime jurisdiction following a similar China Coast Guard action earlier this month.

The Philippines on Monday, April 28, 2025, rejected China's claim to a group of three sandbars in the South China Sea, after recent displays by both