Vietnam south china sea

At first glance from above it looks like any clean and neatly planned small town, complete with sports grounds, neat roads and large civic buildings. But the town is on Subi reef in the Spratly archipelago of the hotly contested South China Sea and, regional security experts believe, could soon be home to China’s first troops based in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia. Private sector data analysis reviewed by Reuters shows Subi, some 1,200 km (750 miles) from China’s coast, is now home to nearly 400 individual buildings – far more than other Chinese islands. Subi could be the future location of hundreds of People’s Liberation Army marines, as well as a possible administrative hub as China cements its claim with a civilian presence, security analysts and diplomatic sources say. The data from Earthrise Media, a non-profit group supporting independent media with imagery research, was based on surveys of high-resolution images obtained by DigitalGlobe satellites, … [Read more...] about Concrete and coral: Beijing’s South China Sea building boom fuels concerns

China's brazen landing of nuclear-capable bombers on an island in the disputed South China Sea is a bold power play to bolster its territorial claims while rivals are divided and the U.S. distracted by North Korea, analysts say. China attracted diplomatic protests after long-range H-6K bombers carried out landing and takeoff drills at an unidentified island airstrip on Friday. But Beijing has long brushed aside such condemnation, denying that it was militarizing the region even though it has installed an array of airstrips, radar systems and naval facilities on a string of islands it has reclaimed in contested areas since 2013. The planes are believed to have landed on Woody Island, China's largest base in the Paracel Islands which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. An H-6K long-range strategic bomber deployed to Woody Island could reach almost the entire South China Sea … [Read more...] about Beijing’s South China Sea bombers fly in the face of protests

China has for the first time landed several bombers on an island in the disputed South China Sea, a move that could provoke renewed tensions between countries bordering the strategically vital maritime region. Several bombers of various types - including the long-range, nuclear strike capable H-6K - carried out landing and take off drills at an unidentified island airfield after carrying out simulated strike training on targets at sea, the Chinese airforce said in a statement on Friday. Wang Mingliang, a defense expert cited in the statement, said the takeoff and landing exercises on islands in the South China Sea will help the air force "strengthen its combat capability to deal with martime security threats." The move comes weeks after U.S. network CNBC reported that China had installed anti-ship and air-to-air defenses on outposts in the Spratly Islands that are also claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines, citing sources close to U.S. intelligence. Washington warned that Beijing … [Read more...] about Chinese bombers make debut landing on disputed South China Sea runway

U.S. news network CNBC reported on May 2, 2018 that China had installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three of its outposts in the Spratlys, namely Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef. The report substantiates the concern among regional observers that China may soon start a new round of escalation in the South China Sea after a relatively calm period. Since the release of the arbitral tribunal ruling on the Philippines vs. China case in July 2016 until early this year, China kept a low profile on the South China Sea issue by quietly completing its seven artificial islands in the Spratlys and refraining from major assertive actions. Beijing even showed good will and made efforts to accelerate discussions with ASEAN on a Code of Conduct for the sea. China’s wish to counter adverse ramifications generated by the 2016 ruling as well as its emphasis on the successful organization of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 19th congress … [Read more...] about Vietnam facing China’s renewed assertiveness in South China Sea

China's reportedly deploying missiles in the Spratly Islands outposts could mean an act closer to declaring an Air Defense Identification Zone in the disputed waters and Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam should raise voices to protect their rights, experts said. U.S. news network CNBC reported on Wednesday that China has installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three of its outposts in the South China Sea. The report quoted unnamed sources as saying that according to U.S. intelligence assessments, the missiles were moved to Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef within the past 30 days. "If the story is correct, this is a significant step of China toward militarization of Spratly Islands," Euan Graham, Director of International Security Program at Lowy Institute, told VnExpress. He said the missiles would be a stage before China launching combat aircraft later this year, and declaring an excercise restriction area. The approach is … [Read more...] about China completing militarization in South China Sea by deploying missiles to Spratlys: experts