The Philippines has placed navigational buoys within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to assert sovereignty over the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, a government official said on Monday (May 15).

A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) video released on Monday showed its personnel lowering and installing the buoys marked with the Philippine flag in the South China Sea. The PCG said it set up five buoys from May 10 to 12 in five areas within the 200-mile (322-km) zone, including the Whitsun Reef, where hundreds of Chinese maritime vessels moored in 2021.

Philippines National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano, who led a commemoration ceremony in Manila marking the installation, told reporters it was a way to assert the country’s sovereignty and also help people out at sea with maritime safety.

The step comes amid China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea as Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr pursues warmer ties with treaty ally the United States. China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

By Reuters