Satellite images suggest that China is building an airstrip on Triton Island, a disputed territory on the South China Sea which is claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam as well.
According to an analysis by Associated Press, photos of Triton Island, one of the islands in the Paracel group, appear to reveal the construction of a runway that is more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) long. Turboprop aircraft and drones could fit in this, but fighter planes or bombers would not.
By constructing military facilities on the Spratly group, further to the east, and by fortifying islands elsewhere, Beijing has previously made its rights in the South China Sea known. Any work being done at Triton Island seems to be just getting started.
The South China Sea issue:
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest commercial routes. The waters are strategically significant and have the potential to become a flashpoint for disputing states.
Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei are among the nations with conflicting claims, but the US also sees the waterways as essential to its national interests and frequently conducts “freedom of navigation operations.”
Despite an international tribunal ruling China’s justifications to be without merit, China still claims practically the entirety of the South China Sea.
Developments in Triton Islands:
Planet Labs’ photographs of Triton also include what appears to be construction equipment, vehicle tracks, and containers. It lies at a nearly equal distance from the coast of Vietnam and the island province of Hainan in China. China has claimed authority over the island since 1974.
Triton already had a helipad and a few small harbours, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Satellite photographs show two fields with a star from the Chinese flag and hammer and sickle symbols of the ruling Communist party.
Australian researcher and analyst, Hunter Marston, said some Vietnamese officials do not see the Triton Islands developments as an “existential threat to Vietnam’s security”. They perceive them with relative ambivalence.
However, he said that the general public is very alert to these developments and very anti-China, especially in regard to the East Sea. East Sea is the Vietnamese name for the region, as opposed to the commonly used ‘South China Sea’ nomenclature.
China has not disclosed the specifics of its island construction projects and insists that all activity is done to increase the safety of navigation. The country has denied all accusations of militarising the waterway.
POTUS Joe Biden said earlier this month that he is planning to visit Vietnam soon and that the US wants to strengthen its ties with the country. This could be Vietnam’s signal to China that it has various strategic partners. However, Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, is supposedly planning to visit Vietnam shortly before Biden. This is probably to reinforce that “China comes first”.
Other disputes in the region:
The Philippines, another important claimant in the issue, has accused Chinese warships of dangerous and aggressive activity, including shooting a military-grade laser and water cannon at its coast guard boats. This has led to an upsurge in tensions over the South China Sea in recent months.
Recently Washington’s footprint in the region increased when the Phillippines increased US access to its military bases in March. Military ties of the Phillippines with Japan and Australia have also increased.
