China’s frenzied reclamation projects in the South China Sea have dramatically changed reefs and islets in the hotly contested waters.
Fiery Cross Reef – known also as Northwest Investigator Reef and Yongshu Reef to the Chinese – ballooned from a group of scattered reefs in the Spratly Islands to a 2.8-square-kilometer fortification, which is now reportedly the third largest island in the vast waters.
In a year-end feature, Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television aired rare aerial footage of Fiery Cross Reef, which has been transformed into a big island dominated by a 3,125-meter runway, long enough for H-6K strategic bombers to land.
It also has a hospital, plus military installations that include early warning radars and close-proximity weapons systems.
China test-landed two civilian aircraft there in January 2016, one from China Southern Airlines and the other from Hainan Airlines.
It’s now a vital logistics hub in the archipelago to support China’s claims of suzerainty over the entire sea.
China Mobile and China Unicom have separate base stations there to provide ultra-fast 4.5G communication for the 200-plus soldiers stationed on Fiery Cross.
With Beijing seemingly eager to militarise the sea, an initiative known as the “Great Wall of sand” was implemented. The island was created through eight months of non-stop reclamation in 2015 with monster cutter-suction dredgers used to suck up sand from nearby shoals via a technique known as hydraulic fill.
Chinese naval activities near the Spratlys in 1987 began a race to occupy the islands early the following year with Vietnam and other countries that claim territory in the archipelago. Fiery Cross Reef was occupied by Chinese troops in February 1988, supposedly for the construction of a UNESCO marine observation station.
But China’s move to occupy Gac Ma Reef (Johnson Reef) was opposed by Vietnam and led to armed conflict in March that year. More than 60 Vietnamese sailors were reportedly killed – some shot while standing on the reef – when Chinese naval frigates opened fire and sank two Vietnamese ships. A member of a Chinese “survey team” was also injured during the skirmish.
By July 1988, the Chinese were reported to have built a 300-meter pier capable of handling 4,000-ton ships, a helipad, as well as the oceanographic observation station on Fiery Cross Reef.
No point to keep harping on China islands building. It is done. We all know they will enlarge, upgrade and fortified it. Only a fool wouldn’t do that. The challenge lies in what’s next for the other claimants? Challenge it? Too late and too weak. Even the US who has the muscle looks uninterested. Maybe work with China and make the most of the situation. Like the saying if you can’t beat it join it.
If you can’t be it be dominated and controlled by it you mean?
The bigger picture is the entire South China Sea. If China wants to be allowed to own the entire sea, others should be allowed to follow suit. For instance if any country bordering on the Pacific Ocean claims it owns a thousand nautical miles of the Ocean, China should be the first one to support its claim. The international community or the UN should pose this question to China.
In a recent document published on December 3, 2017 by the Chinese ruling party, China pledged to observe existing international law EQUALLY AND UNIVERSALLY. The international community or the UN is given a right to demand China to observe the UNCLOS.
The point is UNIVERSALITY, not limited to the South China Sea. If China wants the international community to allow its island building and occuption of the entire SCS, the international communisty must allow other countries to do the same in other seas or oceans; and China should be the first country to support all similar island building and occupation of other waters.
"…any country bordering on the Pacific Ocean claims it owns a thousand nautical miles of the Ocean, …"
Can any country defend such a claim? And what good does it do to claim a thousand miles of ocean?
Buddy Frank …..We were talking about international law and principle. If one country were allowed to own the SCS, others must be allowed also. It makes a great "good" if the territorial waters are a thousand miles as conpared with only 12 miles. If any country is allowed to claim whatever waters, you may claim 10 thousand miles or more. India might claim the entire Indian Ocean, thanks to China for breaking up the international rules.
China is weak militarily although it tries hard to portray its strength.Thats why it rushed to built island outposts in the SCS to counter the US military reach.In term of strategic bases it is surrounded by the US which have bases and facilities in Japan, Korea ,Taiwan the Philippines,Guam and Singapore.The US also could bring in the 19 aircraft carriers it has to the pacific if needed to pounce China.In term of military hardware be it the navy,airforce and missiles force chinas hardware is sub standard compared to the US for eg China is still using Russian jet engines for their latest jets and it also not proven in combat.Chinas 9 dash line in SCS and its fortified islands is just like a a bird by the river watching crocodiles (US forces)swimming in the river.
UN has no teeth at all they can’t ever stop the chinese hegemony in all it’s neigthboring countries so it’s time to study if this UN entity will continue it’s existense
this island belong to the phils omg china
China needed these islands to protect her trillion dollar global trade,at the sametime China should show generecity to neighbouring inhabitants by introducing major tourust attraction to less fortunate people!
No nation in the history of mankind has ever had power and never wanted to use it. And the history of China is perfect testament. The dragon is brooding.
Wood Wu..UNIVERSALITY ? Ha ! Go try sail a small boat near that area of you can.
Future vacation spots!
For hundreds of years China had suffered attacks and humiliation by the so called international laws as devised by the western countries.. The built up of islands is for self defence against the hypocrite western countries who never fail to abuse the use of international laws. Did China ever attack the west ? Why are they so sensitive this round ?
"Did China ever attack the west "
You ever hear of the Chinese intervention during the Korean War. The US and UN forces had the North Koreans beat and had them bottled up by the Yalu River at the Chinese border until China intervened with over 100,000 troops.
This is ONE OF THE LEGACIES of Barack Obama…A FAKE ISLAND, FROM A FAKE PRESIDENT, A CARTOON,JUST AS FAKE AS THIS ‘ISLAND’.
thietnam puts out more than 1 million combat age soilders a year. china who knows? lets get them to fight each other, and stay out of it!
Well said. It was the Europeans who intruded in the first place.
Napoleon so rightly said, don’t disturb China. Well they didn’t listen, they invaded, looted, followed by all other means of domination. Well, finally it retaliated.
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Buddy Frank That’s what 13 supercarriers are for.
If you hate the West so much why are you attending or working at a university in the UK. Hypocrite.
Yeah because US wants to destroy china because of debt and curious in military strenghts / nuclear missiles / anti-aircraft carrier missles and they want it to destroy it to make more money and asual a business too, things that PRD can’t push our claims because there are some countries making them selfs as a friend but own interest. except japan
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