Thitu Island, where the Philippine Coast Guard recently opened a monitoring station. AP photo/Aaron Favila

AP reports,

“THITU ISLAND, South China Sea (AP) — The Philippines inaugurated a new coast guard monitoring base Friday on an island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea and plans to expand joint patrols with the United States and Australia to counter China’s “pure bullying” in the strategic waterway, a Philippine security official said.”

The AP story includes 17 additional photos.

Thitu is the second largest of the naturally occurring island in Spratly Islands and has a civilian population of about 200.

Spratly Islands military settlements. Source: Cartothèque Spiridon Manoliu, via Wikipedia.

Thitu lies about 500 kilometers (310 mi) west of Puerto Princesa on the larger Island of Palawan so it is outside the larger contiguous Philippine EEZ.

Ownership of the Spratly Islands is disputed, not only between the Philippines and China, but also by Taiwan, Vietnam, Malasia, and Brunei.

Thanks to David S. for bringing this to my attention.