The Philippines pushed back by unfurling its own flag at disputed Sandy Cay, condemning China's "illegal presence."

China and the Philippines have each unfurled their national flags on tiny sandbars in the South China Sea, staking competing sovereignty claims in strategic waters seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict.

The Chinese coastguard has seized a tiny sandbank in the South China Sea, state media has reported, in an escalation of a regional dispute with the Philippines.State broadcaster CCTV released images of four officers,