MANILA, May 3 -- The National Maritime Council (NMC) on Saturday slammed China's disinformation activities by announcing that it has taken control of Sandy Cay (Pag-asa Cay 2), a sandbar near Pag-asa Island and within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

In a statement, the NMC lamented that the Chinese government is using its state-controlled media to sow disinformation "to mislead its own people and the international community about the continuing illegality of its activities in the West Philippine Sea."

"The alleged seizure of Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay), an integral part of the Philippine national territory in the West Philippine Sea, was a clear example of the disinformation activities of the Chinese government, where it made it...