China’s efforts to put more pressure on the Philippines over a disputed atoll in the South China Sea could prove an early test for Donald Trump when he returns to the White House next month.
Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal – which is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – in 2012, and it is now one of the major areas of contention between Beijing and the Philippines.
In recent weeks, China’s navy and coastguard have stepped up patrols around the reef to “resolutely safeguard” its sovereignty, and last Friday Chinese coastguards expelled a Philippine plane that “illegally intruded” into the airspace above the feature.
