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Want to see what China’s island bases in the South China Sea are like? Take a look at some of the amazing images taken by Getty Images photographer Ezra Acayan in October.
They show airfields, radar installations, and military aircraft and warships stationed in the Spratly Islands, which are about 400 kilometers off the Chinese coast. Beijing has used both natural and artificial islands to build its military capabilities in the area.
“The function of these islands is to expand the offensive capability of the PRC beyond its mainland coasts,” Adm. John Aquilino, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, warned in March, referring to the name official of the country, the People’s Republic of China. .
From these bases, Chinese forces “will be able to fly fighters, bombers plus all the offensive capabilities of missile systems,” such as anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, Aquilino told The Associated Press at the time. , calling the islands completely militarized.
Island airbases
This photo shows an airfield on Subi Reef, which China claimed in 1988 and built to create an artificial island large enough to house military installations.
A double runway, hangars, and multi-story administrative buildings are all clearly visible. This may interest you : China angry, Taiwan cheered by new US defense act.
Missile boats and anti-ship missiles
This Mischief Reef photo shows the Chinese Type 022 Houbei class fast attack boats, which are catamarans armed with YJ-83 anti-ship missiles.
Also visible on the coast is what could be covered launchers for ground-based missiles. On the same subject : The last time there was a crisis in Taiwan, China’s low-tech military was vastly outmatched by US forces. Not now.. Tom Shugart, a naval expert at the Center for a New American Security, told the Telegraph that the garages facing the sea could house “angled cruise missile launchers”.
Gun emplacements on Cuarteron Reef
In 2016, observers detected gun emplacements on Cuarteron Reef. Read also : US and China announce agreement to share audits of US-listed Chinese companies. One of Acayan’s photos shows these weapon stations in more detail.
You can see several tiered towers, with what analysts have identified as 76mm naval guns visible on the two lower levels. Above the guns is what could be a gun director, and above them all there is a large dome that will probably house some type of radar.
Chinese airborne radar aircraft on runway
This photo shows a Chinese KJ-500 early warning aircraft on the runway at Fiery Cross Reef. The KJ-500 is based on the Y-9 transport, China’s equivalent to the US C-130 Hercules.
The presence of a KJ-500 shows that the runways of Fiery Cross Reef are long enough to handle larger aircraft, while the hangars are big enough to accommodate H-6 bombers.
The KJ-500 “plays a significant role” in China’s ability to use long-range weapons, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, head of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said this spring, adding that “some of its very long-range air. air missiles are helped by that KJ-500”.
Port for Chinese warships
This photo of Fiery Cross Reef shows the semi-enclosed water and facilities that make the island a useful naval base.
More than 40 ships of various types appear to be anchored near Fiery Cross, the Associated Press reported in March.
These islands have sports fields
What is striking in this photo of Fiery Cross Reef is not the track and buildings, but rather the sports field, which appears to include a running track and an athletic field.
This suggests a Chinese presence that is significant enough that recreational facilities are needed to maintain troop morale.
The size of the camp, which is marked and seems to have light poles, indicates that the garrison is large enough to justify such an amenity.
China’s growing reach
The Spratly Islands are strategically valuable to China. They allow Beijing to project air and naval power hundreds of miles further than forces that can reach mainland China. The bases also allow China to place forces closer to vital areas, such as the chokepoints between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
China has been willing to use force to maintain control over the Spratlys, which are geographically closer to Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. In 1988, Chinese forces seized Johnson South Reef after defeating Vietnamese ships and troops on the disputed island.
The United States is not the only nation interested in Chinese bases. Several countries, including Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines and Malaysia, have made claims in the Spratlys and other pieces of land in the South China Sea. (Vietnam has accelerated the expansion of its own outposts in the Spratlys by the end of 2022, according to the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative).
The value of these bases should not be exaggerated. Their small size, flat and open terrain, and distance from mainland China leaves them vulnerable to bombing, blockade or invasion in time of war. Short of the war, however, they are a powerful reminder of China’s military reach in one of the world’s most important waterways.
Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy Magazine, and other publications. He has a master’s degree in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Vietnam’s public debt is expected to more than double from $145 billion to almost $300 billion in 2027. And while debt service should be manageable, Vietnam’s hidden debt to China is much higher than carried out Between 2000-2017, the non-sovereign debt owed to China reached $16.3 billion, 3% of GDP.
Who legally owns the West Philippine Sea?
The administrative order affirms the Philippine claim on its EEZ in the South China Sea which conveys the Philippine government’s position that it has sovereign rights under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the West Philippine Sea area and the “inherent power and”. right to designate his…
Does the Philippines have sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea? “The Philippine position is to continue to exercise full sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc and its territorial sea, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the surrounding EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and continental shelf,” Andanar said. in a picture. declaration
What are our legal bases for claiming the West Philippine Sea?
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ruled that the Philippines has sovereign rights over WPS, and has jurisdiction over the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) .
What country claims West Philippine Sea?
Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim parts of the sea. China, for its part, draws a nine-dash line to outline its claim of “historical rights” to nearly 90 percent of the waterway. The line also overlaps with the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of another nation – Indonesia.
Is China violating the law of the sea?
Within the nine-dash line area, China consistently violates UNCLOS through routine harassment of civilian vessels in their respective EEZs. In June 2011, China cut cables to oil exploration vessels from Vietnam while operating in its EEZ.
How has China violated UNCLOS? China tried to claim maritime areas based on historical rights rather than distance from its land territory and had its argument rejected for violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). .
Does China have a legitimate claim to the South China Sea?
Since 2014, the PRC has continued to assert claims to a wide swath of the South China Sea, including the right to draw baselines and lock in internal waters across four geographically dispersed island groups and other maritime features.
Does China obey UNCLOS?
China was one of the first countries to sign UNCLOS in December 1982, and ratified the Convention in 1996, giving a strong impetus to its conclusion and entry into force.
Is China a signatory to the law of the sea?
China signed the 1982 LOS Convention on December 10, 1982, the very day it was opened for signature, and was eager to enjoy the maritime rights and interests attached to the new regime. .
Is Vietnam allies with Russia?
Russia is a current ally of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The Soviet Union was one of the first countries in the world to recognize and formally establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, laying the foundations for a strong friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Did Russia have troops in Vietnam? Soviet soldiers sent to the Vietnam War as anti-aircraft technicians took part in a missile fight and shot down a US plane, the Soviet Army newspaper reported today.
What side was Russia on in Vietnam War?
As the original communist state, the Soviet Union aided North Vietnam, with increasing support in the late 1960s. While the U.S.S.R. he provided some troops, his greatest contribution was in weapons.
Does Vietnam support Russia?
Russia remains Vietnam’s top arms supplier and a key strategic partner in Hanoi’s attempts to counter China’s threat in the region. There are many factors that link Vietnam to Russia and put Hanoi in a bind over its handling of the Russian invasion.
