As Kim Jong Un's nuclear efforts in North Korea capture global attention, China is quietly moving to bolster its grip on disputed territory in the South China Sea.
Last month, a Philippine lawmaker released photos that he said showed Chinese fishing, coast guard and navy vessels surrounding a Philippine-occupied isle in the Spratly chain of islands, preventing planned repairs to a runway. Vietnam in July halted drilling in an area leased to Spain's Repsol SA amid reports it did so under Chinese duress.
The incidents suggest China is taking advantage of a perceived U.S. vacuum on Southeast Asia under President Donald Trump, whose administration has focused on Chinese trade tensions and North Korea's missile and nuclear tests.