BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s coast guard held a National Day flag-raising ceremony on a ship in the waters off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, vowing to “stand guard” over the atoll, a major flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups and maritime clashes with the Philippines. Both countries claim the triangular feature in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, but it is effectively under Beijing’s control. “We stand guard over these blue waters, assuring the nation of our unwavering commitment,” the video subtitles read. The Philippine coast guard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Wednesday. In 2012 China seized control of the shoal after a standoff with the Philippines and has since kept a deployment of coast guard and fishing trawlers there.