Exclusive: New photos show Philippines’ illegal landing at Tiexian Jiao; CCG officers boarded reef to conduct verification and enforcement measures

The Global Times obtained a set of photographs from China Coast Guard on Tuesday showing that CCG officers enforced maritime management and exercised sovereign jurisdiction at Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea through on-reef inspection and evidence collection of illegal activities.
The CCG officers displayed the Chinese national flag to assert sovereignty, and cleaned up plastic bottles, wooden sticks, and other debris scattered on the reef flat. The photos also showed a group of Philippine personnel illegally landing on Tiexian Jiao.

The Global Times learned from a source that the photos were taken on April 27.
On the same day, the CCG announced that six Philippine personnel illegally boarded Tiexian Jiao despite the Chinese side's warnings and dissuasion. Following the move, the CCG officers boarded the reef to conduct on-site verification and enforcement measures in line with the law. China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including Tixian Jiao, and the adjacent waters.
The Philippine side's actions violate China's territorial sovereignty, breach the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea. We urge the Philippines to cease its infringements immediately. The CCG will continue to protect China's rights and carry out law enforcement activities within China's jurisdictional waters, CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun said.

Responding to media inquiries on whether China will announce territorial sea baselines for Tiexian Jiao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday's press briefing that Tiexian Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. It is uninhabited.

Guo emphasized that China's rights-defending law enforcement activities in accordance with the law are aimed at countering the Philippines' illegal landing and other infringement and provocation activities, firmly upholding China's national territorial sovereignty, ensuring Tiexian Jiao's state of hosting no personnel or facilities and firmly upholding the sanctity of the DOC.