How a Rusty WWII Ship Became a Symbol of Indo-Pacific Power Wrestling

A rusty World War II ship in the South China Sea has become a symbol of defiance in the face of Chinese aggression. Twenty-five years ago, the Philippines strategically grounded its naval vessel BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, composed of over 100 small islands and reefs. The shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, an area within 200 nautical miles of a nation’s coastal line that gives the country rights to use natural resources in the water. It lies within a region of the South China Sea that’s disputed between China, the Philippines, and other nations....