State of the World from NPR

A Remote Island Outpost that is Part of a Geopolitical Fight

A Remote Island Outpost that is Part of a Geopolitical Fight

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An aerial view taken on March 9, 2023 shows Thitu Island in the South China Sea. – As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a stern command over the radio: “Leave immediately.”

JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

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JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

An aerial view taken on March 9, 2023 shows Thitu Island in the South China Sea. – As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a stern command over the radio: “Leave immediately.”

JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

Ownership of the Spratly Islands are in dispute. This has been the case for decades, but tensions have been raised recently as China has tried to expand its claims in the remote area. We get a rare glimpse of one of the islands that has a Filipino community living on it.