Philippines establishes coast guard outposts in disputed sea

MANILA, May 20 (AP): The Philippines has established three coast guard outposts on three islands in the disputed South China Sea to monitor ship movements and promote safety, coast guard officials said Friday, amid increasing maritime tensions with China.

The move reinforced the presence of Filipino troops on the islands in the hotly contested Spratly archipelago and will likely be frowned upon by Beijing, which has claimed the disputed waterway virtually in its entirety.