Chinese boats harass Philippines

The Philippines has reported that it is monitoring dozens of armed Chinese fishing vessels around a disputed island in the South China Sea, with the boats being part of China’s “gray zone” efforts to assert sweeping claims in the energy-rich waters. The unmarked fishing boats, accompanied by a naval and coast guard presence, were described as “a form of harassment” by a Philippine official. China’s ambitious maritime and territorial claims were dismissed in 2016 by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, but China has rejected the verdict, leading to tensions with the US, which is committed to freedom of the seas.