cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/58189321
- New buildings could be early warning radar, analysts say
- Islet 14 km northeast of build-up on Antelope Reef
- China potentially strengthening hold on northern part of South China Sea
New installations have been sighted on an islet near Antelope Reef in the Paracels archipelago of the disputed South China Sea where analysts believe China is building its largest military base, according to satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters.
Security analysts say while it is too early to gauge definitively the likely function of the three-pronged construction on Yagong Island, it could be the start of an early warning radar facility to support eventual installations on Antelope Reef.
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Vantor, a commercial provider of satellite images, said it took the latest image on August 17, noting in other images that construction started in March and April.
While the purpose of the buildings was not certain, “several structures on Yagong Reef resemble other military radar/early warning facilities seen elsewhere in the South China Sea and are likely associated with the ultimate military functions of nearby Antelope Reef,” a Vantor spokesperson said.
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Last week, China had completed the first phase of construction at Antelope Reef, highlighting the South China Sea as an increasingly militarised arena between China and the United States and its allies — and one that could prove critical in any future conflict over Taiwan.
The Antelope Reef images showed an artificial island nearly 6 km (4 miles) long, with a straight line of coast longer than 3 km (2 miles) that some analysts see as a potential runway.
Yagong is far smaller, 14 km to the northeast of Antelope. Both lie within the Crescent Group in the western Paracels.
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The Spratlys and nearby waters are also claimed, all or in part, by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
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According to the China Island Tracker,
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.
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Regional security analysts and military attaches say the construction of features is more likely to strengthen China’s military hold on the northern part of the vital trade waterway.
Open source intelligence tracker Damien Symon, who has monitored Paracels activity, said a radar facility was possible but it was too early to make a solid call.
Singapore-based security scholar Collin Koh said the installation could be some kind of standalone observation post given the limited scale but it was “most likely a radar station, if I can make an educated guess”.
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