China's SCS Strategy Thread

[Ultra]

This is probably the best recent photo of Woody Island and Sansha overall. Not the detail of the close ups seen...but the entire Island.

The PRC, as I said, has generated a big success there...and given the type of reclamation, improvements, and infrastructure they have and are putting in place there, it gives you a model of what to expect on the other large reclamation projects they have accomplished further South.

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OMG. Is that an athlete tracks? In asian countries that usually means that is a school there. I can also see basketball courts and tennis courts too. If there is a school there that means there are children there. Are therer going to be shops too? Which begs the question, can the island have viable civilian population (and economy)?

 

[Jeff Head]

OMG. Is that an athlete tracks? In asian countries that usually means that is a school there. I can also see basketball courts and tennis courts too. If there is a school there that means there are children there. Are therer going to be shops too? Which begs the question, can the island have viable civilian population (and economy)?

It certainly seems to be an athletic track...and I know they were building a school.

Having set it up as a prefecture...there will definitely be a growing civilian population IMHO, including their families.

The latest I heard was that there are 1,500 civilians on the island already, and 6,000 military personnel.

 

[joshuatree]

The US will ultimately maintain its desire for freedom of navigation through there...but China will have a vastly improved position at the same time.

I think when China starts possessing the capability to conduct surveillance at the depth and frequency as the US, it's position on FON will start lining up with the US's (if you can't beat them, join them). But at that point, I wonder how average Americans will react with Chinese assets routinely going up and down their coasts? Maybe nothing. Maybe with alarm.

 

[Ultra]

I think when China starts possessing the capability to conduct surveillance at the depth and frequency as the US, it's position on FON will start lining up with the US's (if you can't beat them, join them). But at that point, I wonder how average Americans will react with Chinese assets routinely going up and down their coasts? Maybe nothing. Maybe with alarm.

I think in order for China to do that, it will need to expand its navy probably 10 folds.

Reportedly new home built on Woody Island. Wonder if these are the villas being built for families.

It always puzzle me why asians don't like to put gutters and downpipes on their roof. Sure this is still a house under construction, but if you google image chinese houses, or visited China or asian countries, you will see majority of houses don't have gutters and downpipes.

 

[joshuatree]

I think in order for China to do that, it will need to expand its navy probably 10 folds.



It always puzzle me why asians don't like to put gutters and downpipes on their roof. Sure this is still a house under construction, but if you google image chinese houses, or visited China or asian countries, you will see majority of houses don't have gutters and downpipes.

Good observation and only response I can think of is, do they invest in drainage facilities that make gutters efficient? I think they should adopt rain barrels and grey water usage on vegetation now rather than later considering how much easier it is when the project is a new build vs retrofit. Going back to the structure on Woody, I would say at least it doesn't make that big of a deal there since the ocean is only a short distance away for water to runoff. But who knows how environmentally sensitive the Sansha's planners will take it.

 

[Ultra]

Good observation and only response I can think of is, do they invest in drainage facilities that make gutters efficient? I think they should adopt rain barrels and grey water usage on vegetation now rather than later considering how much easier it is when the project is a new build vs retrofit. Going back to the structure on Woody, I would say at least it doesn't make that big of a deal there since the ocean is only a short distance away for water to runoff. But who knows how environmentally sensitive the Sansha's planners will take it.

In western countries, all houses have gutters and downpipes, sometimes even the bustops have them. It is just nicer to not have rainwater splash on you when you exit buildings or structure. I think the reason chinese and most asians gutters and downpipes is just seen as wasteful and unnecessary (who cares if its just a splash of rainwater on your head??)

Another thing, in recent years, countries like Australia experienced prolong droughts (sometimes it can last up to10 years!), the problem is the "catchment area" where the dams are are not getting the rainfall, while in the city and suburbs where people live we got some rain. And this has prompted the government to encourage/force all new homeowners who building new houses to install watertanks (storage) to store rainwater runoffs from the roof gutters - basically the downpipes are re-directed to the watertanks, and the rainwater are used for washing cars or water the garden, or flush the toilets.

Now, for people who lives on very small islands especially man-made ones where there is no catchment to speak of - every bit of catchment counts. I am sure they can built very expensive (and very energy intensive) desalination plants for drinkable water, as you can't just drink sea water (it is undrinkable!!), so I would assume they would mandate every house or structures to have gutters and downpipes for the runoffs to be directed to watertanks more so than here.

 

[ahojunk]

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AT Editor on July 27, 2015
(From Reuters)

Chinese authorities plan to start a second cruise ship link to the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, state media reported on Monday, in a move that may irk Vietnam, which also claims the islets.

Weather could hamper tourism efforts as the Paracels are often hit by typhoons.

China began cruises on the Coconut Princess on a trial basis from the southern island province of Hainan in 2013. More than 10,000 tourists have taken the trip so far, the official China Daily reported.

Officials hope a second ship will be in operation before the end of the year, and that more islands can be opened up for visits, the report said.

Those include Woody Island, where the Chinese government seat for administering the Paracels is located.

However, weather and poor facilities could hamper tourism efforts. The Paracels are often hit by typhoons and strong winds, the paper said.

“We need to take into account the capacity of the islets to handle tourists. Cruise ships cannot dock on some of them and the tourists have to be bought ashore by smaller ships,” Xie Zanliang, head of a government tourism company promoting trips to the Paracels, told the newspaper.

The deployment of a Chinese oil rig near the Paracels last year sparked a standoff with Vietnam and anti-Chinese riots.

China claims 90 percent of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam lay claim to parts of the sea, through which passes about $5 trillion of trade a year.

Vietnam said last month it would offer its own cruises to the disputed Spratly archipelago, which lies south of the Paracels, a move that sparked anger from China.

Countries competing to cement their rival claims have encouraged a growing civilian presence on disputed islands.

 

[ahojunk]

Some pictures of tourism related activities on Yongxing (Woody) Island in Xisha (Paracel) Islands.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

OMG. Is that an athlete tracks? In asian countries that usually means that is a school there. I can also see basketball courts and tennis courts too. If there is a school there that means there are children there. Are therer going to be shops too? Which begs the question, can the island have viable civilian population (and economy)?

It certainly seems to be an athletic track...and I know they were building a school.

Having set it up as a prefecture...there will definitely be a growing civilian population IMHO, including their families.

The latest I heard was that there are 1,500 civilians on the island already, and 6,000 military personnel.

If you don't mind the analogy it reminds me a bit of GTMO. sure, all we hear about is the detainees.

However its a complete Naval and Marine base. That includes civilians. If memory serves GTMO has a McDonald's, a Basken Robins, Starbucks coffee shop, KFC, Subway Restaurant, Taco Bell, A&W hamburger (heck I live in a civilian city in the US and I cant say I can go to half of this list already!) and a Beyer Ice cream.

All of this list is unique to GTMO as the only locations in all of Cuba.

That said although they are franchises. The base economy much as I suspect the island base to be is limited and not del sufficient or a growth industry. All the Franchises are operated by the USN for the purpose of moral of the base personal and family's the proceeds are mostly targeted to base moral.

On base is a theatre and 3 schools a Day care, a Elementary school and a High school operated by the DoD.

I would imagine that the PLA would fallow a similar plan for basing of personal on larger islands, smaller Island bases or artificial habits might be operated more like large naval ships with only duty personal on board in a rotation of a blue and gold team (or what ever you want to call it.) a crew operating for a set period maybe a few months then rotating back to a larger home base well a relief crew takes over.

Think of it like a Company town model. You work for the company but because of the remoteness the company has to take measures to keep you happy and healthy bot physically and mentally and since you are a long term employee and are likely to be posted there a long time, they offer you housing for you but not just you your family as well. But if they let you take your family they have to keep your family functioning so they give you schools and youth centers for your kids and if they do that well they might as well take other steps like comfort foods as going to the same Cafeteria is pretty boring and really would you drag your kids there?

So they open a cantina that sells groceries and restaurants and shopping for clothes and shoes, maybe a car lot but definitely bus and public transportation so people can get around with ease. It seems idyllic but there are limitations, if you retire or quit you pretty much have to move out. Its a closed economy growth is based more on recognized needs from inside the chain of command. Where in a traditional economy people can come in at random and build a small business or go out of business or people can come in and change jobs or other things in the company town model everything is operated as a single unit. And if the Company goes under or decided to move on then the whole town would be abandoned and turned into a true Ghost Town".

 

[no_name]

Some pictures of tourism related activities on Yongxing (Woody) Island in Xisha (Paracel) Islands.

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Looks like snapper to me, a fish popular in NZ, beside the pacific salmon.