Philippines to develop disputed island

A trilateral summit between the Philippines, Japan and the U.S. will address China’s claims to the South China Sea as Manila pours millions of pesos into developing an island deep within disputed waters

CHINA
Outposts with ports, runways, other infrastructure
Hanoi
VIETNAM 
HAINAN 
Gulf of Tonkin
Taipei
TAIWAN
Paracel Islands 20
LUZON
Manila
9
PHILIPPINES
Occupied by Philippines
Sulu Sea
China’s nine-dash line maritime claim 
MALAYSIA
Hong Kong
China lays claim to 90% of South China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves
PACIFIC OCEAN
Scarborough Shoal
Chinese Coast Guard
SOUTH CHINA SEA
Spratly Islands
BRUNEI
7


Thitu Island: Manila building up base in disputed zone

300km 185 miles

Sources: Bloomberg, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
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