China is constructing an airstrip on a disputed island to intimidate its many neighbors
China is constructing an airstrip on a disputed island to intimidate its many neighbors
China wants to claim the South China Sea as its own.
As the Chinese Communist Party seeks to expand its expeditionary capabilities much of the rest of the countries of the region and beyond are starting to believe Chinese leaders who never miss an opportunity to say that they intend to dominate the landscape.
Now China is possibly building an airstrip on Triton in the Paracel group, a project that is likely part of a bigger plan that is focused on intimidating its neighbors.
Whatever construction is happening on Triton is in its early stages and it is not clear that a military grade airfield is what is being built. It is, however, clear that China has construction underway on the island that is quite possibly not China’s territory. At best, it is disputed territory by several nations.
Other claimants to the area include the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan and Vietnam.
The runway would be “more than 600 meters, which could accommodate smaller aircraft and drones, but not fighter jets or bombers,” according to Sky News.
The island group is northwest of the Spratly group which has seven human-made islands.
Chinese use of the islands is obviously meant to secure the South China Sea which in turn serves as a launching point for possible expeditionary forays for the Chinese military.
The South China Sea touches China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Brunei is nearby on south of the Spratly group.
Importantly, Triton is about an equal distance between Vietnam and China’s island province of Hainan.
The move has sparked a sharp response from the government of Vietnam.
“All activities in the Paracel Islands conducted without Vietnamese permission are violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty,” said Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesman Pham Thu Hang, according to Voice of America.
In the same Voice of America article, a spokesman for Taiwan’s foreign minis
try said, its “rights over land and related waters in the area cannot be questioned.”
It remains to be seen if Vietnam takes a physical response.
The Paracel group and the Spratlys can be seen as stop off points to bigger military targets in the Philippines, Indonesia, and perhaps the biggest prize for the Chinese, Australia.
With the short runway being built on Triton, it is not clear what the rationale is for building a new airfield considering Woody Island, also in the Paracels, sits about 160 kilometers away and is “China's most advanced air base in the Paracels.”
A launch area for drones seems the most likely reason for the construction.
Woody Island is home to “fighter jets, cruise missiles, and a radar system,” according to Voice of America.
China is pressing its neighbors and western nations through exercises with the rogue Russian regime, permitting unending missile testing by North Korea, along with the possibly illegal occupation and use of islands in the South China Sea.
The neighboring countries, along with the U.S., South Korea, Japan, Australia and European nations are quickly putting China on notice that its bullying will not be tolerated. With a failing economy, China may in fact become more dangerous.
The world must stand against this military build-up in the South China Sea.
James Hutton is a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army. Follow him on Twitter @jehutton