Recent satellite photographs show China appears to have built reinforced aircraft hangars on its holdings in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, the New York Times reported on Monday.
Advertisement
M. Taylor Fravel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology cut the Chinese some slack, saying the hangars have been under construction for too long to be seen as a peevish backlash against last month’s worldwide court ruling against China.
The photos in the CSIS report were taken towards the end of July, just weeks after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague discredited China’s nine-dashed line and extensive claims to the South China Sea.
Another factor that has made China more comfortable about its stance in the South China Sea is the changing domestic politics in the Philippines. “They plan to put aircraft in these areas”, the official said, adding they find the development very disturbing.
The State Key Laboratory of Marine Resources Utilization in the South China Sea, initiated by the Hainan Science and Technology Department and Hainan University, must finish recruitment for the research team before operations officially begin, said Shi Yiyun, head of the department. After his retirement, Ramos became a key figure who proposed the Boao Forum for Asia, an worldwide think tank which is also based in Hainan.
An Armed Forces official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the constructions have been ongoing for quite some time now, based on their monitoring. CSIS said the smallest hangars are 60 to 70 feet wide, more than enough to accommodate China’s largest jet fighters.
Japan blamed China on Tuesday for raising tensions in waters near the disputed islands, saying Chinese maritime activities around the islands are having a “significant adverse impact on the status of Japan-China relations”.
Here’s a look at the rapid construction on Mischief Reef, Fiery Cross Reef, and Subi Reef. Aircraft shown for illustrative purposes.
The hangars all show signs of structural strengthening, the CSIS said.
While China may argue that these structures are for civilian use, “they are far thicker than you would build for any civilian goal”, CSIS Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative Director Gregory Poling told The New York Times.
“Unidentified hexagonal structures are quickly being built at four locations on each islet-always oriented toward the sea”.
China’s stern rejection of the worldwide ruling released in July does not necessarily constitute that the nation intends to threaten global peace according to an expert.
Advertisement
“China’s critics are right about one thing: The country has benefited greatly from the rules-based order in place since the end of World War II – and indeed, from the USA security presence in the Pacific, which has given China the space to concentrate on its economic development”, Zhu explained.
