south china sea dispute
A year after the Hague ruled in favor of his country, there's only so much Philippine President Duterte can do to minimize tensions.
Beijing is accusing countries of interfering in its waters.
Towers and hexagonal structures have also been built on the islets in recent months.
China vowed again to ignore the ruling.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
"Behind this misjudgment is Washington's anxiety and arrogance."
The United States is conducting joint exercises with Japan and India in the Western Pacific.
The incident comes a week after China scrambled fighter jets as a U.S. Navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef.
"These excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law."
China, along with five other nations, have overlapping claims to the South China Sea, where $5 trillion of trade passes every year.
Several countries have squabbled over the region's natural resources and trading routes for decades.