The standoff over Sandy Cay, which lies close to military outposts built by both Beijing and Manila, was the latest between the two nations.

China says six Filipinos landed on a tiny outcropping that both countries claim in the South China Sea , days after photos emerged of Chinese coast guard officers displaying a Chinese flag on the same group of sandbars.

Both countries have planted flags on a collection of sand bars, extending the clash over the area between Beijing and Manila, a U.S. ally