Philippines Installs Buoys in Areas of South China Sea to Assert Sovereignty

A Philippine flag flutters next to navy ships anchored at the Philippine-occupied Thitu island in the disputed South China Sea, on April 21, 2023.Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

The Philippines has installed some navigational buoys within its 200-mile (322-km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea to assert its sovereignty, according to the country’s coast guard.

Five buoys carrying the national flag were set up from May 10 to 12 in five areas within the EEZ, according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, the spokesperson on South China Sea issues for the Philippine Coast Guard.