Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea

BEIJING (AP) — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where 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:

The Philippine government reiterated its claim to the island, where Filipino troops and villagers have lived for decades in a tiny community amid islands claimed by multiple countries.

About 1.6 billion pesos ($32 million) has been earmarked for the construction work, including a fishing port, solar power generators, a water desalination plant, improved housing for soldiers and facilities for marine research and tourism.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported Monday that South Korean naval ships will conduct training exercises with the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson, as tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula continue to eclipse those in the South China Sea.

North Korea marks the founding anniversary of its military on Tuesday, and South Korea and its allies are bracing for the possibility that it could conduct another nuclear test or launch an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted China's president, Xi Jinping, as telling Trump that China strongly opposes North Korea's nuclear weapons program and hopes "all parties will exercise restraint and avoid aggravating the situation."

While the U.S. has dispatched what Trump called an "armada" of ships to the region, including the aircraft carrier, U.S. officials have told The Associated Press that the administration doesn't intend to militarily respond to a North Korean nuclear or missile test.