What's happened
The Philippines removes a 300-metre barrier installed by China at Scarborough Shoal, sparking a diplomatic row.
Why it matters
The removal of the barrier signifies the Philippines' determination to defend its maritime territory and the rights of its fishermen, escalating tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
What the papers say
The New York Times highlights the Philippines' forceful step in contesting China's territorial claims, while Al Jazeera and AP News emphasize the diplomatic row and the Philippines' determination to defend its maritime territory and fishermen's rights.
How we got here
Tensions between China and the Philippines have been escalating over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, with the latest incident involving the removal of a barrier installed by China at Scarborough Shoal.
More on these topics
-
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Philippines, and in the south by B
-
China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
-
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from
-
Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, Panatag Shoal, Huangyan Island and Democracy Reef, are two rocks in a shoal located between the Macclesfield Bank and Luzon island in the South China Sea.