Defense News:
China is continuing to expand its construction activities in a second group of disputed South China Sea islands, according to a Washington-based think tank on Wednesday.
The report, released Wednesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, says Beijing has undertaken substantial upgrades to its military infrastructure in the Paracel Islands, with the construction of harbors, helipads and a full-fledged helicopter base on several islands in the chain.
Also claimed by Vietnam, the Paracels already play a key role in China’s goal of establishing surveillance and power projection capabilities throughout the South China Sea. Their location, less than 200 miles from the southern Chinese island of Hainan, means that bases and facilities on the Paracels can serve to bridge the distance between Hainan and outposts farther south.
China occupies 20 outposts in the Paracels, of which it gained total control after a series of skirmishes with the former South Vietnam in 1974. The islands lie farther north of the more well-known Spratly Islands, and are referred to as the Xisha Islands by the Chinese.
The latest satellite imagery obtained by CSIS-AMTI think tank show that five of the island outposts contain helipads, with Duncan Island housing a full helicopter base while the Triton, Money and Pattle islands each boast a single helipad to add to helicopter facilities on China’s main Paracel base on Woody Island.
