The smaller ones, which are the most numerous, could easily support China’s J-11 and Su-30 fighter jets. Not only would this escalate disputes with other regional claimant states like Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, but it would unquestionably pose a serious threat to America’s “freedom of navigation” operations.
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While China has three operational runways in the Spratly Islands, there is now no evidence China is storing military aircraft, but that may soon change.
China’s project of creating whole new islands from sand piled atop coral reefs in the highly contested Spratly group has been a particular source of tension with the U.S. New satellite photos show work proceeding on what seem to be hardened concrete airplane hangars suitable for housing Chinese air force planes, including strategic bombers and inflight refuelers.
Current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked the 88-year-old Ramos to act as his special envoy to pave the way for talks with Beijing after a ruling last month by an global arbitration tribunal invalidated China’s expansive territorial claims in a case put forward by the Philippines. Construction of hangars was photographed on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs late July. “But the rapid construction of reinforced hangars at all three features indicates that this is likely to change”, the report said.
China has repeatedly denied doing so and has in turn criticized USA patrols and exercises for ramping up tensions.
Huang said the laboratory will also have a positive effect on China’s exercising sovereignty rights in the South China Sea.
Japan’s foreign minister has summoned the Chinese ambassador to demand that Beijing promptly withdraw its vessels from waters around disputed islands in the East China Sea.
All the hangars show signs of structural strengthening, the think tank said.
While China may argue that these structures are for civilian use, “they are far thicker than you would build for any civilian objective”, CSIS Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative Director Gregory Poling told The New York Times.
The spike in tensions follows a ruling of the International Court on the complex dispute in the South China Sea.
Evidence of the military hangars surfaced a month after the PCA’s decision declaring illegal China’s claim to own the South China Sea.
Japan yesterday warned China that ties were “deteriorating markedly” over disputed East China Sea islets, and China’s envoy in Tokyo reiterated Beijing’s stance that the specks of land were its territory and called for talks to resolve the row.
Ramos said in a news conference at Manila’s airport that he would act as an “ice breaker” and the warmer relations he wanted to forge could engender formal talks between China and the Philippines.
Japanese media reports say the recent escalation in China’s activity around the disputed islands may be seen as a warning against planned visits by members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among the war dead, for the August 15 anniversary to mark the end of World War II.
“I think it’s a mistake to take them individually and not look at them as a collective”.
Increased Chinese activities in the region have angered Tokyo.
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There were no military aircraft seen at the time the photos were taken.
