Philippines Relies On 'Wreck' To Keep Its Outpost Against China In Spratly Islands

SPRATLY ISLANDS, PHILIPPINES - AUGUST 03: Members of the Philippine Marine Corps stationed at the dilapidated Sierra Madre, laugh as they watch a DVD on August 3, 2014 in Spratly Islands, Philippines. The crumbling ship has no air conditioning, fans or refrigerator. Electricity is supplied for only several hours at night by a power generator. The crew has to rely on rainwater to cook, do laundry and washing. China, which has been flexing its military muscle in recent years to expand its maritime presence, is ratcheting up pressure at this particular site. The Philippines occupies nine islets and reefs in the Spratlys. But Ayungin Shoal is the only spot that is constantly exposed to the surveillance activities of Chinese patrol vessels. In 1995, Beijing upped the ante by erecting a structure in Mischief Reef, which is located in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, calling it a "shelter for fishing boats." The Philippine military countered the move by deliberately running the Sierra Madre aground in Ayungin Shoal four years later as an outpost to keep the islands under its control. In South China Sea, Spratly Islands are disputed area, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia have claimed sovereignty. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)