Chinese shadow US aircraft carrier on South China Sea patrol

FILE - In this file photo from Wednesday, June 15, 2016, an F/A-18 Hornet takes off the deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS John C. Stennis during joint military exercise between the United States, Japan and India off the coast 180 miles east of Japan's southernmost island of Okinawa. The U.S. says at least one Chinese ship tailed the USS John C. Stennis daily during its recent cruise through the South China Sea, although no hostile incidents were reported. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File) FILE - In this file photo from Wednesday, June 15, 2016, an F/A-18 Hornet takes off the deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS John C. Stennis during joint military exercise between the United States, Japan and India off the coast 180 miles east of Japan's southernmost island of Okinawa. The U.S. says at least one Chinese ship tailed the USS John C. Stennis daily during its recent cruise through the South China Sea, although no hostile incidents were reported. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)

By Associated Press June 20, 2016 5 min read

BEIJING (AP) – A look at some recent key 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 gas and oil reserves:

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest key developments in the South China Sea, home to several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region.

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CHINESE SHIPS SHADOW U.S. CARRIER TASK FORCE