New images appear to show Chinese military bases in South China Sea

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

World Views

By Simon Denyer July 1 at 5:34 AM



The Fiery Cross Reef, 2,740,000 square meters. (CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/Digital Globe)

New images taken just this week show China building what look like military bases on reclaimed land in the South China Sea, a development likely to add to concerns in the United States and among its Asian neighbors.

China said on Tuesday that land reclamation had now finished on "some islands" in the South China Sea. But the focus is now likely to shift to the construction work that China is carrying out, which many fear will lead to further militarization of the South China Sea.

Images taken as recently as June 28 show how China has almost completed the construction of an airstrip at Fiery Cross Reef. The images were taken by Digital Globe and supplied to The Post by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Land reclamation is now complete at Fiery Cross Reef. AMTI says construction of the air base is continuing “with ongoing paving and marking of the airstrip, an added apron, construction of a sensor array and development of additional support facilities.”



Fiery Cross Reef (CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative / DigitalGlobe)

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/07/01/new-images-show-china-building-military-facilities-in-south-china-sea/

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The Washington Post uses different titles throughout its website. Also, the print edition of the story can have a different title. This story is also called "See China’s rapid island-building strategy in action."

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

1. I wonder how high above sea level those bases are

and whether preparations have been made for global warming in future years.

[benld74]

2. Where are the paths of the most recent typhoons compared to these 'islands'??

[wolfie001]

3. 40 - 50 million chinese workers....

....have been building many new cities with no population. The regime seems to be preparing for eventual turmoil. Maybe less than 5 years away?

[yurbud]

8. how do cities with no population equal future turmoil?

[yurbud]

4. China's military budget is a sixth the size of ours. Why are people pissing themselves about this?

It's like an aircraft carrier that can't move.

[DRoseDARs]

5. It's a maritime territorial dispute over resource-rich South China Sea waters.

While the US has no claim, 6 countries do.

[Thor_MN]

6. An aircraft carrier made of sand, pumped onto a reef...

[NickB79]

7. It allows them to make territorial claims on ocean territory

In violation of international maritime laws.

And you can sink an aircraft carrier; not so much with an island (unless we wanted to use some really, really big firecrackers).