Part of your weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, the location of several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region.
The barren shoal is on the eastern edge of the disputed Spratly archipelago where tensions have run high in recent years after China built seven disputed reefs into man-made islands and reportedly installed missile defense systems.
China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves.