An aerial view taken on March 9, 2023 shows Thitu Island in the South China Sea. - As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a stern command over the radio:

An aerial view taken on March 9, 2023 shows Thitu Island in the South China Sea. - As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a stern command over the radio: "Leave immediately." / AFP via Getty Images

Ownership of the Spratly Islands are in dispute. This has been the case for decades, but tensions have been raised recently as China has tried to expand its claims in the remote area. We get a rare glimpse of one of the islands that has a Filipino community living on it.