China appears to be constructing an airstrip on an island in the disputed South China Sea, according to an analysis of satellite photos. The Triton island is also claimed by the countries of Vietnam and Taiwan.
According to an analysis by AP, the work on the Chinese airship on the Triton island in the Paracel group resembles the construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group that have been equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems. The Paracel group was seized by the Chinese from Vietnam during a naval conflict in 1974.
The construction of the airstrip was first visible in early August and is poised to be over 600 metres in length, enough to accomodate turboprop aircraft and drones but not fighter jets or bombers. Many vehicle tracks were also visible across the island.
China has so far refused to provide details of its island construction work other than to say it is aimed at helping global navigation safety. Despite an estimated $5 million in annual trade passes, Beijing has rejected accusations of militarising the waterway and said that it has the right to do as it wishes on its sovereign territory.
China has had a small harbor and buildings on the Triton island for years, along with a helipad and radar arrays. Two large fields on the island sport a star from the Chinese flag and a hammer and sickle representing the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Beijing claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety, putting it on a collision course with other claimants. Chinese military has repeatedly targeted other vessels in the disputed sea. It has clashed with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei over territorial claims in the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
The disputes in the South China Sea has been described as a fault line in the rivalry between the United States and China. Even as Washington places no claims in the disputed area, it has often slammed Beijing's aggressive actions and deployed its warships and fighter jets, along with holding military drills with regional allies, in what it claims to be in its national interest.
In the latest flare-up in the South China Sea, the Philippines military accused China's coast guard ships of firing a water cannon against Philippine vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal to block indigenous boats from delivering new troops, water and fuel.
