China bullying Philippines by building airstrip in amid freeze calls

China is now building an island on the reef in disputed Spratly Islands that is large enough to hold a first offshore airstrip in South China Sea. This was said by a leading defense publication.

The submitted satellite images that shows construction has again stoked concern that the Chinese converting disputed territory in mineral—rich archipelago as its military installations, adding another tension in region with the territories that was claimed by other countries Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Brunei.

The images obtained showed Chinese—built island on Fiery Cross Reef at least 1.9 miles long and 660-980 ft wide, “that is large enough to construct runway and apron.”

The reported building work flies in face of the US calls for freeze in the provocative activity in South China Sea, one of the Asia’s biggest security issues. The concern is now growing about escalation in the disputes even claimants work to establish code of conduct in order to resolve the territorial issues.

Dredgers were creating harbor to east of reef “that appear to be large enough for it to receive tankers and other major surface combatants.”