China building airstrip-capable island on Spratly?

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This is alarming news, aiyo!

“A tropical coral reef has been transformed by the Chinese military into a base that could host a 3,000-meter long airstrip and naval port, ready to push Beijing’s territorial claim over the South China Sea,” reports Scott Mitchell on Vice.com.

According to the report, the new artificial island was constructed on Fiery Cross Reef, part of the disputed Spratly Island whose ownership is being claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

But China has been saying it is theirs.

“In the space of three months China has turned the reef into an island by dredging soil and sand from the seabed and dumping it on top,” according to the report. “The facility is already believed to be the home to a greenhouse, a wharf, a helipad, and coastal artillery. Images released by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense also show PLA marines in residence, coastal artillery, and a DP-65 anti-diver grenade launcher on the wharf.”

The report is based on an analysis of satellite photos by security journal IHS Janes, which it compared “to CGI images used by the China State Shipbuilding Corportation in promotional material.”

The converted reef, warns the Vice.com report, is “the perfect staging ground for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the South China Sea.”

 

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