THITU, Spratly Islands — Flying to Thitu, the reality of China’s territorial ambition becomes clear. Dozens of Chinese ships circle this tiny speck of land that a few hundred Filipinos call home.
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For now, life is peaceful and slow for the most part. Small wooden boats line a white-sand beach on the east coast. Houses built from plywood, scrap wood and tarps are the main shelter. On a recent afternoon, some people gathered near the beach to debone fish, while others waded into tide pools with fishing spears.
But close, China has positioned a fleet of coast guard ships. On a nearby reef it has built a base whose lights shine at night. The growing presence has surprised the Philippines, which has occupied Thitu for nearly half a century. So it is upgrading its dilapidated military installations on the southern tip of the island. And it is encouraging more Filipinos to move there, betting that more residents will strengthen its claim to Thitu and reduce hostilities with China.
These civilians are the only ones on the Spratly Islands — a chain of about 100 atolls, reefs and cays in the South China Sea that is claimed by six countries. Marjorie Ganizo and her husband, Junie Antonio Ganizo, moved here with their eight children in November despite what they saw as the risk of a Chinese invasion.
“We had to ask ourselves: hunger or fear?” said Marjorie Ganizo, 36. “No matter where you are, if it’s your time to die, it’s your time to die.”
Tensions have erupted between Beijing and Manila, which has a mutual defense treaty with the US. In June, in another area of the Spratlys, a Chinese Coast Guard ship rammed some Philippine military vessels, injuring one soldier. Tensions have eased in recent weeks, but a miscalculation by either side could spark a conflict with global ramifications, as the South China Sea is crucial to international trade.
For residents of Thitu, an area of about 36 hectares, the Chinese site has reduced their fishing area.
But Ganizo now earns up to $350 a month as a welder, compared with $80 he earned in Palawan, the Philippine province about 480 kilometers away and closest to Thitu. Mainland China lies more than twice as far to the northwest.
He is working on Thitu’s military facilities. Manila began upgrading them in 2018. It now has a protected port. Its once-muddy airstrip is now concrete. An aircraft hangar, a control tower, a military barracks, a health centre and a school are under construction.
All supplies have to be transported by ferry. Much food is given out free to civilians, part of the island’s appeal. But bad weather can frustrate supply runs. Until this year there was no doctor. Electricity is available for a fee from a diesel power plant, but the houses have no running water.
Last year, the government opened Thitu and other Philippine-occupied reefs and atolls in the Spratly Islands to tourists. Some residents have converted their homes into accommodation for visitors.
More than 200 settlers from around 65 families live on the island. In addition, around 150 workers were brought in to improve the military installations.
About 100 soldiers, coast guards and firefighters are stationed here. On a recent night, residents sang with a karaoke machine, played pool or basketball and drank alcohol. Many teenagers, glued to their smartphones, hung out near the school to enjoy the free Wi-Fi.
“This is my home,” said Larry Hugo, president of a fishing group. “I will leave this island only when I am dead.”
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