Overview

• The Philippines plans to upgrade islands and reefs in the South China Sea to make them more habitable for troops, amid increasing tensions with China.
• Manila's military chief, Romeo Brawner, announced the plans, which include the installation of a desalination machine on a warship grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert sovereignty.
• The upgrades are part of a shift in focus from internal defence to territorial defence, with plans to acquire more ships, radars, and aircraft.
• Recent months have seen heightened tensions between the Philippines and China, with incidents including a collision between vessels and Chinese ships blasting a water cannon at Philippine boats.
• The South China Sea is a strategic waterway, with claims of sovereignty from multiple countries including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, but Beijing claims almost the entire area.