Vessels identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese maritime militia vessels seen near Thitu Island in the South China Sea. - AFP
OVER THE SPRATLY ISLANDS, Philippines 2023 (AFP): As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a stern command over the radio: "Leave immediately."
The order came from a radio operator on a Chinese coast guard vessel 1,066m (3,500 feet) below -- one of dozens of ships seen prowling the waters.
