China builds another island in South China Sea - IHS Janes Defence Weekly 30 September 2014 IHS Janes has obtained satellite imagery that further illustrates the extent of Chinas building of new islands in the Spratly Islands. The latest image shows a new island on Gaven Reefs, known in the Philippines as the Burgos Reef, in Vietnam as Dá Ga Ven and Dá Lc and in China as Nanxun Jiao and Xinan Jiao. China previously built a concrete platform that sat above the reef on its western side. This structure was fortified and housed anti-air and naval gun systems, along with communications equipment. However, Airbus Defence and Space satellite imagery dated 31 March and 7 August 2014 shows that between these two dates a channel was cut out of the centre of Gaven Reefs and the resultant rubble deposited to create a rectangular island that is about 300 m by 250 m. Along with a spit that leads to the channel, about 114,000 m 2 of new land has been created. As with Johnson South and Cuateron reefs - other sites of recent Chinese reclamation in the Spratlys - workers have enclosed the island with a concrete sea wall. The dredging and reclamation were most likely carried out by Tian Jing Hao , a 6,017-tonne, 127 m-long cutter suction dredger that is believed to be the largest of its type in the Asia-Pacific region. IHS Janes previously reported that Tian Jing Hao was present at Gaven Reefs from 24 May to 15 June 2014. Based on the 7 August image, construction of the island at Gaven Reefs has not progressed as far as that at Johnson South or Cuateron reefs. For example, there are no piers or roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) docks or foundations for buildings at Gaven Reefs, although there are barracks, ISO containers and construction materials. The seawalls at Cuateron, Gaven and Johnson South reefs all suggest that plans to build airstrips at any of the sites are secondary to establishing the islands structure before typhoon season in late summer to autumn. In previous land reclamation activities in the South China Sea, such as in the Paracel islands, China has been content to expand each features footprint gradually. COMMENT Beijing continues to defend its right to create the islands although its logic is sometimes impenetrable. Responding to reporters questions at a regular press briefing on 9 September, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: We have answered this question many times before, and I suppose you must be fully aware of Chinas position. China asserts indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha [Spratly] Islands and the adjacent waters, and Chinas activities on relevant islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands fall entirely within Chinas sovereignty and are totally justifiable. When asked what the purpose of the recent construction was, Hua said it was mainly for the purpose of improving the working and living conditions of people stationed on these islands. When a reporter noted that given the fact that China is building new islands, there is no way that construction on them is for improving the living conditions of inhabitants on them, Hua replied: I have already answered your question. Source: janes/article/43757/china-builds-another-island-in-south-china-sea
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 08:33:36 +0000
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