In this photo provided by the Department of National Defense PAS, ships carrying construction materials are docked at the newly built beach ramp at the Philippine-claimed island of Pag-asa, also known as Thitu, in the disputed South China Sea on June 9, 2020. The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway. (Department of National Defense PAS via AP, File)
