China Seizes Territory Near Major Philippine Military Outpost

Chinese forces seized Sandy Cay Reef, an uninhabited sandbank just 4 nautical miles from a key Philippine military outpost in the Spratly Islands, Chinese state media reported on April 25.

The sandbank, called Tiexian Jiao by the Chinese, lies well within Philippine maritime territory as defined by international law. It was seized on an unspecified date in the middle of April.

Vow of sovereignty: China’s state broadcaster showed photos of Chinese Coast Guard personnel planting China’s flag on the sandbank, chronicling it as a “vow of sovereignty.” The Chinese were there to “conduct on-reef inspection and video recording of illegal activity,” it reported.

We urge the Philippine side to immediately cease its infringements. The [Chinese Coast Guard] will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in China’s jurisdictional waters in accordance with the law.
—Liu Dejun, Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson

This is the latest instance of China bullying the Philippines and other nations in the region, asserting sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, and brushing aside international laws and legal decisions, particularly the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines.

Heading toward war: China has no regard for law and is determined to subjugate smaller Asian nations in its drive to rule the region. Bible prophecy shows that this brazen determination will only intensify.

China is intimidating the nations of Southeast Asia into submission to its will. It is forcing these countries to do what it wants. Everything is headed in the direction of war.
—Gerald Flurry, Trumpet editor in chief, “China Is Steering the World Toward War”