PLA may build airfield on disputed South China Sea island
China, aided by the People's Liberation Army Navy, may soon build a military facility on the disputed Johnson South Reef to expand its scope in the region, according to Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese.
The reef, part of the contested Spratly islands in the South China Sea, is currently under Chinese administration but also claimed by Vietnam. It belongs to Sansha prefecture, a prefecture-level city of southern China's Hainan province established in 2012, comprising the Spratly islands, the Paracel islands and the Macclesfield Bank. The entire Chinese territory is disputed.
Citing military experts, Duowei said that China may soon construct a new airfield on Johnson South Reef to increase its force projection ability over the South China Sea region.
According to the report, China has learned valuable lessons from the Johnson South Reef Skirmish with Vietnam in 1988, when Beijing found that it would be close to impossible to drive Vietnam out of the Spratlys without a strong air force.
After its victory in the 1988 skirmish, China occupied six reefs and atolls in the Spratly islands, including John South Reef. However, Vietnam still controls 29 islands in the Spratly chain. China will now look to build an airfield for the PLA Navy, Duowei said, while it will be necessary to send warships to complete the project amid the territorial tensions.
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