Xu Liping, a senior Southeast Asian studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Beijing could consider Ramos’ suggestion and seek common interests with Manila.
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Gregory Poling, director of CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, told The New York Times: “They are far thicker than you would build for any civilian purpose.They’re reinforced to take a strike”.
Poling said the appearance of the reinforced hangers was not surprising since they’re sitting at the end of runways larger than any non-military goal would require.
The largest hangers could accommodate the Y-20 and IL-76 transport planes, IL-78 refueling tanker, and KJ-2000 surveillance aircraft.
Philippine-Chinese ties have frayed in recent years due to growing tensions over Beijing’s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea.
It also claimed that they are entitled to build whatever structures it wishes on them, noting that the islands should be able to defend themselves. Japan called on China to adhere to it, saying it was binding, but Beijing warned Japan not to interfere.
Ramos revealed that the people he want to first meet with during his trip is is Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, a major think tank based China’s southern island of Hainan Province.
China has installed a radar with potential military functions in a disputed area of the East China Sea, Japanese media said Sunday, in the latest flare-up of tensions between the two countries. He also suggested China was merely “giving itself the option to use these reefs as military facilities”, so it can mount “a robust defense of those places, or even a power projection”.
All the while, Beijing maintains the July 12 ruling has no bearing on its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Some 230 Chinese fishing vessels and seven coast guard ships, including four apparently carrying weapons, sailed into waters close to the disputed island on Sunday.
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. China says it has sovereignty over the area.
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Relations between Japan and China have always been strained over their wartime history, a sensitive topic during the summer because of end-of-the-war anniversaries.
