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

Zetageist · Oct 20, 2014

Non-Chinese media kept saying that China is building artificial islands within other claimants (Philippines specifically) 200 nm EEZ, but do they?

Many of maps on the internet showed that many of Spratly islands are not within any neighboring countries' 200 nm EEZ. I can see that Mischief Reef is closer to Philippines main islands, so that definitely is within Philippines' EEZ. What about other Chinese controlled reefs like Fiery Cross Reef, Johnson South Reef, Gaven Reef or Eldad Reef - assuming not taking Itu Aba Island (Taiwan) generated EEZ or any other Spratly islands generated EEZ into account?

Jeff Head · Oct 22, 2014

joshuatree said:
Land reclamation on Fiery Cross compared to Taiping Island

That is going to be HUGE!

It simply punctuates China's commitment in the SCS and the way they are going about it.

They no longer need to "take" smaller islands and reefs that can not support the level of operations the Chinese plan in the SCS. They are simply building their on large islands that can house and support the operations they plan and the security to watch over them.

Its a bold, smart move. Others, in particular the US, can complain...but China just keeps on building. The PRC is basically creating sovereign territory on the shoals and reefs they already have. So...what can be done?

The only thing would be (and I do not believe the US currently has the will to do such a thing) is to begin assisting allied nations to do exactly the same thing tit for tat. China is betting (and IMHO it is a good bet) that no one will be able to counter what they are doing, or be willing to spend the money and effort to try,

shen · Oct 22, 2014

Jeff Head said:
That is going to be HUGE!

It simply punctuates China's commitment in the SCS and the way they are going about it.

They no longer need to "take" smaller islands and reefs that can not support the level of operations the Chinese plan in the SCS. They are simply building their on large islands that can house and support the operations they plan and the security to watch over them.

Its a bold, smart move. Others, in particular the US, can complain...but China just keeps on building. The PRC is basically creating sovereign territory on the shoals and reefs they already have. So...what can be done?

The only thing would be (and I do not believe the US currently has the will to do such a thing) is to begin assisting allied nations to do exactly the same thing tit for tat. China is betting (and IMHO it is a good bet) that no one will be able to counter what they are doing, or be willing to spend the money and effort to try,

Other nations, noticeably Vietnam, but also Malaysia are also carrying out similar land reclamation projects in the Spratly group. You just don't hear much about it because it doesn't fit the narrative of Chinese aggression.

China is the only claimant to Spratly without an operational air strip at the moment. That is been addressed. Without resorting to armed conflicts to seize large island suitable for air strip, China is using the peaceful mean of civil engineering to address that problem.

JayBird · Oct 22, 2014

joshuatree said:
Land reclamation on Fiery Cross compared to Taiping Island

Wow.... this picture is really putting things in perspective. I never realized how big this land reclamation and Fiery Cross is until I saw the comparision with Taiping Island. But are we sure both Islands in the picture are accurate in real size with this comparision?

joshuatree · Oct 22, 2014

JayBird said:
Wow.... this picture is really putting things in perspective. I never realized how big this land reclamation and Fiery Cross is until I saw the comparision with Taiping Island. But are we sure both Islands in the picture are accurate in real size with this comparision?

It sounds like the pic comparison is fairly accurate.

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Controlled by Taiwan, Taiping, also known as Ita Aba, is the only one of the islands with fresh water. It has an area of about 0.5 sq km.

Wang Hanling, an expert on the South China Sea from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Fiery Cross Reef now nearly covered about 1 sq km and reclamation work would probably continue.

joshuatree · Oct 22, 2014

shen said:
Other nations, noticeably Vietnam, but also Malaysia are also carrying out similar land reclamation projects in the Spratly group. You just don't hear much about it because it doesn't fit the narrative of Chinese aggression.

Like these?

z117 · Oct 22, 2014

Lethe said:
Of course the more modest proposal of a 5 sq. km island could certainly act as 'Stage 1' in building towards the more grand 90 sq. km proposal. But given the suggested cost of $5bn for the smaller island, surely there would be diminishing returns in terms of the additional facilities that could be accomodated against the cost of doing so well short of 90 sq km.

It makes perfect sense, 5bn over a decade is still cheaper than any Carrier group, plus once built it will be there for the foreseeable future. The Geostrategic importance of the SCS, territorial dispute aside, is vastly more important to China's long term prosperity than ECS.

jon88 · Oct 22, 2014

shen said:
Other nations, noticeably Vietnam, but also Malaysia are also carrying out similar land reclamation projects in the Spratly group. You just don't hear much about it because it doesn't fit the narrative of Chinese aggression.

The Malaysian occupied reef which became an island with an aircraft runway

antiterror13 · Oct 22, 2014

so, everybody is doing it ....

jon88 · Oct 22, 2014

antiterror13 said:
so, everybody is doing it ....

People's Republic of China(PRC) and Malaysia are economically capable of such endeavors, along with Republic of China(ROC/Taiwan). Malaysia and China dealt with their disputes much differently, less confrontational. They even have joint petroleum/gas explorations within the area..go figure!!

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

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