The scene in the Chinese territory is concentrated at a few beaches with inconsistent swell. One intrepid surfer says it’s all about “turning nothing into something.”

At his first stop in the Philippines, the U.S. defense secretary promised to strengthen deterrence against Chinese “threats” in the region. He also plans to visit Japan.

Officials in the Philippines say that President Trump will not pull back from defense commitments because Manila and Washington have a common adversary.