China appears to be carrying out preparatory work for a third airstrip in contested territory in the South China Sea, a US expert said on Monday, citing satellite photographs taken last week.
The photographs taken for Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank on Sept. 8 show construction on Mischief Reef (Meiji Reef, 美濟礁), one of seven artificial islands China has created in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島).
The images show a retaining wall around an area 3,000m long, matching similar work by China on two other reefs in the Spratlys, Subi (Jhubi Reef, 渚碧礁) and Fiery Cross (Yongshu Reef, 永暑礁), said Greg Poling, director of the CSIS’ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
Photo: Reuters
Taiwan also claims the islands.
Poling said the work “more likely than not indicates preparations for a runway” on the reef.
Satellite photographs from late June showed China had almost finished a 3,000m airstrip on Fiery Cross.
Poling said other satellite photographs from last week showed work was advancing at Subi Reef, where “clearly, what we have seen is going to be a 3,000m airstrip and we have seen some more work on what is clearly going to be some port facilities for ships.”
Asked about Mischief Reef on Monday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei (洪磊) repeated China’s claim to “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratlys and its right to establish military facilities there.
Security experts say 3,000m airstrips would be long enough to accommodate most Chinese military aircraft, giving Beijing greater reach into the heart of maritime Southeast Asia, where it has competing claims with several countries.
News of the work comes ahead of a visit to Washington next week by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). US worries about China’s increasingly assertive territorial claims are expected to be high on the agenda.
US Department of Defense spokesman Commander Bill Urban declined to comment specifically on Poling’s assessment, but repeated US calls for a halt to land reclamation, construction and militarization of South China Sea outposts.
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