China and the Philippines each raised flags on Sandy Cay days apart, asserting rival claims. Analysts say Beijing aimed to show strength at home amid growing external pressure. SINGAPORE: China’s national flag was recently unfurled on a disputed reef in the South China Sea by its uniformed troops, an act broadcast by state media in what analysts believe to be a first public display in decades of what had previously been quiet actions. In contrast with how Chinese fishermen, maritime militia,