BEIJING — 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 ...

The Philippines, which disputes China's claim to the sandbank, responds by releasing a photo of its own forces on another.

A photo aired on China’s state broadcaster Saturday showed four ... Tarriela said each team had brought with them a Philippine flag to pose for photos on the sandbars on early Sunday morning.

The flare-up began last week when a Chinese state-owned newspaper posted ... including one of them holding up a Chinese flag. Three days later, a joint Philippines coast guard, navy and maritime ...