ANKARA

China has said it took control of a disputed reef near a major Philippines military outpost in the South China Sea, according to state media.

China has “enforced maritime management and exercised sovereign jurisdiction” over an uninhabited reef in the disputed South China Sea, the state broadcaster CCTV reported Saturday.

Images released by the broadcaster showed China Coast Guard officers unfurling the flag as part of an effort to effectively seize Sandy Cay reef, which Beijing calls Tiexian Jiao, earlier this month.

The reef is also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

CCTV said the coast guard landed "on Tiexian Jiao to exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction” over the reef, carry out an “inspection,” and “collect video evidence regarding the illegal activities of the Philippines side.”

The move came when the Philippines is currently taking part in a joint military drills with the US that Beijing has slammed as "destabilizing."

Citing an unnamed Philippines maritime official, The Financial Times reported that the Chinese Coast Guard had left after unfurling the flag, suggesting that it was not a permanent seizure.

After China seized Sandy Cay, Philippine security forces on Sunday deployed personnel in an operation to reinforce the country's control over several small islands near Thitu Island, the Manila Times reported citing a statement.

The statement said the Philippine National Task Force emphasized that the operation demonstrated "the unwavering dedication and commitment of the Philippine government to uphold its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" in the South China Sea.

The operation also "reinforces the Philippines' adherence to a rules-based international order and its commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes," the statement added.

Thitu Island is located just a few kilometers from Sandy Cay.

China and the Philippines have been locked in a months-long confrontation over the contested waters, accusing each other of causing ecological degradation of several disputed landforms in the South China Sea.

Both sides have claims in the South China Sea, with Beijing asserting control over nearly the entire region.