Narrated by Javier C. Hernández, a New York Times correspondent based in Beijing. Mr. Hernández and Sergey Ponomarev, a photographer, attempted to visit Scarborough Shoal in late June. The tribunal in The Hague ruled on Tuesday, July 12, that China's claims are illegal. But it has no power to enforce the decision.

More stories about the dispute for the South China Sea

Produced by Sergio Peçanha, Josh Williams and David Furst

Satellite photographs by CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative / DigitalGlobe. Photographs by Sergey Ponomarev, videos by Mr. Ponomarev and Javier C. Hernández.