Last Saturday, Chinese Coastguard sailors landed on an uninhabited island in the South China Sea, unfurled their country’s flag and posed for a drone photo. The state broadcaster said that they were there to “exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction” and, as if straight from the autocrat’s deflection playbook, “to collect video evidence regarding the illegal activities of the Philippine side”.

From a tactical military perspective, this island grab wasn’t significant. The Tiexian reef is only about 200 sq meters and the landing team came and went, leaving nothing behind. This particular reef is located near Thitu Island which hosts a Philippine military facility which they use for surface surveillance in the area.

But this is merely the latest incident in a long history of China raising two fingers to any semblance of international convention. The comparatively benign manner of this flag stunt and limited tactical ambition doesn’t diminish its effect in this regard. It reminds me of Russia planting a flag on the seabed at the North Pole.