Beijing wants regional supremacy and uses its might to bully smaller rivals into submission, analysts say.
That was in 2012, around the time China snatched control of the small ring of reefs from the Philippines, and he has not dared go back.
Trillions of dollars worth of ship-borne trade passes through the waterway annually and naval vessels from the United States and Western allies sail through it regularly.Hundreds of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels prowl the waters, swarming reefs, harassing and attacking fishing and other boats, and interfering in oil and gas exploration, and scientific research.
China has since ignored the ruling, and tensions with the Philippines eased after former president Rodrigo Duterte set aside his country's legal victory and courted Chinese businesses instead. His main objectives are realising the"Chinese Dream" of national rejuvenation -- Xi's vision of restoring the country to perceived past glory -- and securing his political legitimacy.
The militarised islands -- complete with runways, ports, and radar systems -- enable Chinese vessels to patrol as far south as Indonesia and Malaysia. "The rules that protected China as a developing coastal state now seem like an unfair constraint on a China that believes that it should be able to impose its will on its neighbours," he said.China's seizure of Scarborough Shoal has robbed Villamonte and other fishermen in Cato village, in the northern province of Pangasinan, of a key source of income.
Christopher de Vera, 53, said members of his crew have gone inside under the cover of darkness, leaving them feeling like"a thief in your own backyard". Talks have dragged on for 20 years as Beijing, which prefers to deal directly with its smaller neighbours, went on an island-building spree.
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