A rock in a hard place: a trip to the South China Sea

Planning a holiday? How about a 32-hour boat ride through the South China Sea, one of the world’s most contested waterways? Six governments have laid claim to the Spratly Islands, including China. The country has been intimidating its rivals in the region and the Philippines is its primary target. Pag-asa is ground zero in this fight. It’s the only one of the islands with a civilian population. There aren’t any hotels or fancy restaurants. Instead, a handful of hardy Filipinos eke out a living, and plenty of fishermen experience Chinese bullying every day. Sue-Lin Wong, The Economist’s South-East Asia correspondent, joins a tourist trip like no other, in an episode that first aired on The Weekend Intelligence podcast. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.