Philippine-Chinese Tensions Escalate Over Disputed Shoal

For decades the South China Sea has been the site of simmering disputes over ownership of the many small reefs, shoals and islands which dot the approximately 1.4 million sq-mi (3.6 sq-km) waterway. Seven governments claim varying sections of the region as sovereign territory, and international litigation has done little to resolve the overlapping claims.

At the center of...