The Philippine coastguard at the coast of Bataan, Philippines in the South China Sea, June 6, 2023. (Reuters)The Philippines will develop islands in the South China Sea that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for troops, Manila's military chief Romeo Brawner told reporters on Monday. Apart from the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin, the Philippines occupies eight other features in the South China Sea, and considers them part of its exclusive economic zone. The features include Thitu island, the biggest and most strategically important in the South China Sea. Besides the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for goods in excess of $3 trillion every year.

Source: The Standard January 15, 2024 12:35 UTC