Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show China is constructing an airstrip on a South China Sea island also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press.

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    14•1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the AP show construction on the airstrip first visible in early August.

    The runway, as currently laid out, would be more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) in length, long enough to accommodate turboprop aircraft and drones, but not fighter jets or bombers.

    The U.S. takes no stance on the sovereignty claims, but regularly sends Navy ships on “freedom of navigation operations” near the Chinese-held islands.

    Two large fields on the island sport a star from the Chinese flag and a hammer and sickle representing the ruling Communist Party.

    China has refused to provide details of its island construction work other than to say it is aimed at helping global navigation safety.

    It has rejected accusations that it is militarizing the crucial waterway, through which an estimated $5 trillion in trade passes annually, and says it has the right to do as it wishes in its sovereign territory.

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