China Continues to Build Islands in South China Sea
China continues to build islands from reclaimed sand in the South China Sea despite calls by the United States and its allies to cease all such activity amid increased tensions in the region.
Reuters reports that a Pentagon report says the building has continued unabated and China is close to completing an air strip that will allow it to bolster its air power projection in the region and supplement its sole aircraft carrier.
The carrier is from Ukraine and not yet fully operational, but it is part of China's long term plans to become a dominant naval power in the waters off its shores.
In addition to building islands and airstrips, China has been deepening the waters around these islands to allow the passage and anchoring of large ships like destroyers and aircraft carriers.
The Pentagon said that as of June, China had reclaimed 2,900 acres of land from the sea. China in August said that it had stopped its reclamation activities and blamed the United States for increasing tensions because the United States have sent surveillance aircraft and naval vessels through the region regularly in an effort to maintain freedom of navigation.
China is not the only player who believes they should have access to the islands of the South China Sea. Parts of the sea are claimed by Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Vietnam is also reclaiming land, but not at the scale of China. The United States has repeatedly called for all those with skin in the game to refrain from reclamation or other activities that could result in more tension.
