The islanders facing China's menacing presence on their horizon

At just 37 hectares, the Philippines-controlled island of Pagasa – or "hope" – is barely big enough to live on. There is almost nothing there. The 300 or so inhabitants live in a cluster of small, wooden houses. They fish in the clear, turquoise waters, and grow what vegetables they can in the sandy ground. But they are not alone in these disputed waters: just off shore, to the west, lies an