Analysis of a satellite image from Planet Labs PBC suggests that there is new construction on Triton Island, the westernmost island of the Paracel Islands near Vietnam.
China has occupied the Paracel Islands since the 1970s, but Taiwan and Vietnam also lay claim to the archipelago.
Compared with a Planet Labs PBC satellite image of the same island early in March, the latest image shows Beijing has been busy building up the island, which is about one mile by several thousand feet across.
Chinese airstrip could house aircraft and drones
Reports suggest that construction of the airstrip on Triton Island started within the last several weeks. According to the Associated Press, the airstrip could be more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) long, big enough for turboprop aircraft and drones.
The Triton Island airstrip is the latest indication that Beijing is staying on task to militarize islands as part of a broader strategy to expand China’s presence in the South China Sea.
In 2022, China fully militarized three islands in the South China Sea. According to the Pentagon, the move could be part of the country's goal to destabilize the area. It could also allow China to extend its offensive capabilities beyond its own shores using flying fighters, bombers and other methods.
When pressed for answers, China has little to say about its construction work on islands in the South China Sea. The country only said that the project would help ships safely navigate the South China Sea. China also claimed that the construction is "defensive in nature."
China has at times denied that it is building man-made islands in the South China Sea. The country also refuses to admit it is militarizing the region, which sees $5 trillion worth of trade pass through each year. (Related: Chinese fighter jet flies too close to US recon plane flying over South China Sea.)
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