Manila, April 27 -- China has "implemented maritime governance and asserted its sovereign authority" over an uninhabited reef in the contested South China Sea, as it raised the national flag on the small sandbank located just a few kilometers from a major Philippine military base, according to a report by The Japan Times.

Images released by Chinese state media on Saturday depicted officers from the China Coast Guard unfolding the flag to effectively assert control over Sandy Cay reef, known as Tiexian Jiao in China, earlier this month. The reef is situated in the contentious Spratly Islands chain, which is also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, as reported by The Japan Times.

Sandy Cay is positioned slightly over 3 kilome...