For quite some time, I have intended to write an article that clearly lays out who, how many, and where the island buildup in the South China Sea is occurring. This, and I really needed to clear some tabs on the computer…some of which have been open since November. So today is the day. Fortunately for me, I did not have to create something new as I stumbled across this report from The Center for Strategic and International Studies. Before we jump into the report, follow me down the rabbit hole of how I got there.
It all started with the article, Building Frenzy In The South China Sea – Who Is Fortifying Islands? I obtained from ZeroHedge which is really just a summary of this article from Statista. This is where we will start. From Statista:
Countries surrounding the South China Sea have built more than 90 military outposts in around 70 locations in the highly disputed area, at times turning semi-submerged reefs or plain rocks into inhabitable islands in an attempt to establish control over the territory. This is according satellite images analyzed by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
Why have there been island fortifications in the South China Sea? The article continues:
Oil reserves and fishing grounds make the waters of the South China Sea desirable and claims over islands (but not rocks and reefs) have been hoped to create rights to exploit these resources. Additionally, important shipping lanes crisscross the area and China equals control of them with regional and even global power. While returning President-elect Donald Trump has been known for its tough stance on the Asian superpower, he has also rejected military deployments abroad, making the issue of a potential escalation in the South China Sea more contentious for U.S. allies Taiwan and the Philippines.
For more information and some excellent aerial photos, we need to go to the CSIS article, Occupation and Island Building where they summarize the project as follows:
Five claimants occupy nearly 70 disputed reefs and islets spread across the South China Sea. They have built more than 90 outposts on these contested features, many of which have seen expansion in recent years. AMTI has gathered satellite imagery of each outpost, along with other relevant information, to document their current status and any changes they have undergone in recent years. Explore the database below.
China
I am not going to discuss each island but I will provide a summary for each of the claimants and a photo of one of the islands. I will start with the China Island Tracker which is summarized as follows:
China has 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands and 7 in the Spratlys. It also controls Scarborough Shoal, which it seized in 2012, via a constant coast guard presence, though it has not built any facilities on the feature. Since 2013, China has engaged in unprecedented dredging and artificial island-building in the Spratlys, creating 3,200 acres of new land, along with a substantial expansion of its presence in the Paracels.
And an aerial:
For the extent of China’s building, I cannot more highly recommend following the link. It is truly remarkable and I do not understand how this was allowed to happen.
Malaysia
While China is THE problem in the South China Sea, other countries are fortifying islands in response. From the Malaysia Island Tracker:
Malaysia occupies a total of five features in the Spratly Islands. They are clustered in the southern portion of the archipelago, closest to the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Aerial Photo of Ardasier Reef. Image obtained from: https://amti.csis.org/island-tracker/malaysia/
Philippines
The Philippines, more than any other nation seem to be at loggerheads over the islands of the South China Sea and are fortifying also. From the Philippines Island Tracker:
The Philippines occupies a total of nine features in the Spratly Islands. Thitu Island, the largest, boasts the only Philippine airstrip in the Spratlys.
Taiwan
China’s first move in securing Taiwan could involve Itu Aba island. From the Taiwan Island Tracker:
Taiwan’s sole outpost in the Spratly Islands is Itu Aba Island. It is the largest natural feature in the Spratlys. Though it has generally focused on keeping the coral reef system surrounding Itu Aba pristine as an example of environmental conservation in the disputed waters, Taiwan did reclaim about eight acres of land to construct a new wharf, which was completed in late 2015.
Vietnam
Of all of the nation’s building in the South China Sea, the extent of Vietnam’s probably surprised me the most. From the Vietnam Island Tracker:
Vietnam occupies between 49 and 51 outposts (the status of two construction projects on Cornwallis South Reef is unclear) spread across 27 features in the South China Sea. These include facilities built on 21 rocks and reefs in the Spratly Islands, along with 14 isolated platforms known as “economic, scientific, and technological service stations,” or Dịch vụ-Khoa (DK1), on six underwater banks to the southeast that Hanoi does not consider part of the disputed island chain (though Beijing and Taipei do). In recent years, Vietnam has reclaimed new land at 8 of the 10 rocks it occupies, and built out many of its smaller outposts on submerged reefs and banks.
All told, there are a lot of fortifications being built in the South China Sea, far more than I was aware. You really should take some time and look at all of the pictures and reinforcements. It is quite astonishing.