Hanoi, May 6 -- Vietnam has expressed its objections to China and the Philippines regarding their conflicting activities at Sandy Cay in the disputed South China Sea, demonstrating the nation's growing assertiveness in regional maritime disputes, the Radio Free Asia (RFA) has reported

Last week, China and the Philippines conducted separate flag-raising events at Sandy Cay, an important location for Manila to oversee Chinese activities within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Hanoi, which also claims the sandbank as part of its territory, announced on Saturday that it had issued diplomatic notes to China and the Philippines protesting their recent actions at the contested site.

Vietnam foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang ...