China has installed a new floating barrier at Scarborough Shoal, according to satellite imagery, as tensions rise between Beijing and Manila over the disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
The barrier was seen blocking the entrance to the lagoon at the shoal in the image obtained by Satellogic, a geospatial company headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Tensions over Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – have intensified in recent months, with confrontations between their coastguards as well as warships.
That came a day after Manila said its coastguard aircraft had experienced “aggressive interference” from a Chinese helicopter and a J-16 fighter jet during a routine flight.