Vietnam has revved up South China Sea land reclamation efforts this year, beginning construction on eight previously untouched Spratly Islands features.
The U.S. and the Philippines announce a joint task force to deter what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Beijing’s “coercion” in the South China Sea.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Wednesday that the U.S. will scale back its military presence, reflecting “our combined success in fighting ISIS.”