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China Builds Artificial Islands in South China Sea

posted by martyb on Sunday April 12 2015, @03:25AM   
from the [im]plausible-deniability dept.

Hugh Pickens writes:

Matthew Fisher reports that to support part of its claim to about 85 per cent of the South China Sea, Beijing is building artificial islands on tiny outcroppings, atolls and reefs in hotly disputed waters in the Spratly Archipelago.

Tons of sand, rocks, coral cuttings, and concrete are transforming miniscule Chinese-occupied outcroppings into sizable islands with harbors, large multi-story buildings, airstrips, and other government facilities. Adm. Harry Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet, dubbed Beijing’s island-building project in the South China Sea “a great wall of sand" and says China has created “over four square kilometers of artificial land mass,” adding there were serious questions about Beijing’s intentions. The scale of China's construction in the Spratly Islands is clear in new satellite images. "What's really stunning in these images, every time you see a new set of images come out, is just the speed and scale at which this work is occurring," says Mira Rapp-Hooper.

A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry insists the islands are being built to give ships a haven in the typhoon heavy region. “We are building shelters, aids for navigation, search and rescue as well as marine meteorological forecasting services, fishery services and other administrative services” for both China and its neighbors, the spokeswoman said, according to Reuters, though no one was buying that explanation.

• Re:Energy and Taiwan Re:Energy and Taiwan (Score: 3, Insightful) by zocalo on Sunday April 12 2015, @04:19PM

  by zocalo (302) on Sunday April 12 2015, @04:19PM (#169348)

  You left off "massive natural resources suspected/proven to exist below the South China Sea", but otherwise you pretty much nailed it I think. In combination with China's growing ability to exploit those resources and the internationally accepted implications that applying territorial limits to these artificial and enhanced islands I think fishereries are probably not exactly the primary benefit they are thinking about here given how badly they want natural resources at the moment. Sell any excess to their trading partners and thing might even work out that they turn a huge financial profit from their current investments. Strategically this is a good move for China's future, and the overall timing and disposition of those who might want to try and oppose the idea is just about perfect for them.
  
  Not sure if you were aware or not, but the one child policy is now in the process being consigned to history. It didn't attract much fanfare in the West at the time but it was relaxed in November 2013 to a two child policy provided one of the parents is a single child, although the story I did see recently on this was that the people are having a hard time getting used to the idea and are voluntarily sticking to the policy.

  --
  UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!

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• Re:Energy and Taiwan (Score: 2) by arslan on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:12PM

  by arslan (3462) on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:12PM (#169457)

  Yea, rumor has it that there's gas and oil in the South China Sea bed..

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