China's man-made Subi Reef in the South China Sea. Photo: Bullit Marquez / AP
"While attention in Asia has been distracted by the North Korean nuclear crisis in the past year, China has continued to install high-frequency radar and other facilities that can be used for military purposes on its man-made islands in the South China Sea," Reuters reports from D.C.
Why it matters: "The United States and its allies oppose China's building of artificial islands in the South China Sea and their militarization, given concerns Beijing plans to use them to deny access to strategic routes."