PLAN SCS Bases/Islands/Vessels (Not a Strategy Page)

Some other developments at Meiji Island.


The northwest side of Mischief Reef as of January 8, has a 1,900 foot seawall and newly-constructed infrastructure including housing, an artificial turf parade grounds, cement plants, and docking facilities.


The reclaimed island at the southern end, as of January 8, showing a newly-built seawall on its north side and a completed dock. This island is quite big, almost the size of Huayang (Cuateron) Island.

Thanks for the pictures and notes, ahojunk. What do you think is the purpose of the island at the southern end near the lighthouses and channel? It seems logistically cumbersome to build a base separate from the main base. It's inevitably going to have inferior living quarters so whoever gets stationed there is going to feel resentful.

Bltizo said:

Sure, but my point is that drawing comparisons between any two events (such as cultural revolution then and the situation in Taiwan over the last few years and now) should not be made in too flippant a manner and if comparisons or analogies are to be made then certain key characteristics of both events must be present.

Given the cultural revolution was characterized by many unique characteristics of rather severe degrees, I am very hesitant to make any comparisons or analogies to it on the basis of minor resemblances in a few characteristics while lacking other in other domains.
I'd rather not get into too detailed of a discussion in this topic, as it is already OT enough and such political discussions are discouraged on the forum. But I think I'm making a reasonable case to say that comparing Taiwan's current political and cultural shift with the cultural revolution and saying they are "not so different" is probably inaccurate in many key prerequisite for seeking accurate comparison, and at best it is an overly simplistic and somewhat controversial analogy.

Click to expand...

You can certainly disagree, but that's how many people think and feel, including people in Taiwan, and it's a fact. Sure it's a simplification 'cause it's a quick way to explain what's going on in Taiwan without getting into the details, which I have no intention. There are differences but also many similarities. DPP leaders are fluent in CCP history and learn from it, which they don't hide.
History tends to repeat, regardless the existence of political theories.

I rest my case.

2016-01-23. Satellite picture of Yongshu Island shows that both ends of the runway now has lawn/grass planted.




The lawns were planted after Jan 6 and completed by Jan 18.

China reminds Taiwan - we are in this together.

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2016-01-29 07:22:59 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Li Bin


Chinese navy soldiers conduct a patrol on the Nansha Islands. Nansha Islands are the biggest among the archipelagos in the South China Sea, with over 500 islands, shoals and reefs. [Photo: mod.gov.cn]

Authorities in the Chinese mainland say people across the Taiwan Straits have a shared responsibility to safeguard the Nansha Islands.

This comes as Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou made a visit to Taiping Island, the largest of the Nansha island group.

Ma was on the island to meet officials and deliver a speech ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

He said the islands in the South China Sea were first discovered, named and used by the Chinese more than 2,000 years ago.

Ma pledged to work to end disputes and promote the peaceful development in the region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying commented on the visit on Thursday.

"The Nansha Islands have been China's territory since ancient times. The Chinese on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are duty-bound to safeguard the ancestral property of the Chinese nation."

In addition, Hua said China was working to make the South China Sea a place of peace, friendship and cooperation:

The mainland-based Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council issued a statement a day earlier, reaffirming China's sovereignty over the South China Sea islands, urging people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to safeguard the Chinese nation's overall and fundamental interests together.

Picture of Nanxun Island and its neighboring reef, dated Dec 5, 2015.




Picture of Nanxun Island dated Dec 5, 2015.




The sea around the island is pretty rough as is demonstrated by the vast changes of the tiny sandbar north of the island. The changes are quite substantial from Nov 6 to Dec 28, 2015.

no_name said:

Not a direct link.

"2015年4月11日卫星图显示，

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开始在中国的南华礁进行非法填海造陆行动，南华礁东西两侧填出了0.03平方公里的陆域。越南在南华礁上的填礁造陆的“成果”在2015年底被强台风摧毁。"

"Vietnam started reclamation project on Cornwallis South reef and managed to filled out land area of 0.03 Km^2 on east and west side of the reef. The result was destroyed by typhoon at the end of 2015"

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Pics showing Vietnam's reclamation work and the Typhoon aftermath:

It explains why Vietnam has been quiet of Chinese reclamation activity. They are doing it themselves ... just this time bad luck/bad planning for them

Vietnam started reclamation before China.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington based think tank released satellite images showing Vietnam doing reclamation since August 2012. According to Janes, China started in September 2013. It gets even better when the US state department then say .

"Strictly speaking, these photos show that China is right, "she said, "but we can safely say that the scope and scale of what China has undertaken is totally unprecedented and dwarfs Vietnam's activities many times over."

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You could almost picture the sour and bitter expression of the spokeswoman as she said that.

Note that article came out in May 15, yet the major western news outlets have paid it the bare minimum coverage to avoid accusations of deliberately supression, but those facts does not factor at all in any subsequent reports or commentary they run, including Reuters, who wrote that story.