BEIJING — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, the location of several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region.
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PHILIPPINE ACTIVISTS STAGE ANTI-CHINA PROTEST
Flag-waving protesters in the Philippines converged at a Chinese consulate in the capital, Manila, to protest China’s assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea.
Saturday’s protest involving more than 100 left-wing activists ended in a melee between demonstrators and the authorities, with police using a water hose and their shields.
The farmers and workers belonging to the militant Bayan group burned signs showing the U.S. and Chinese flags during the action, which included a demonstration outside the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy to protest alleged U.S. meddling in the Philippines.
While Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to boost relations with Beijing in return for aid and investment, the two countries continue to hold differences over the rights to islands, shoals and fishing grounds in the South China Sea.