Beijing has gone through years turning islands and reefs in the South China Sea into army installations and airstrips - however such domain could be helpless against assault and near weak in case of war, another report has cautioned.
Beijing has spent years turning islands and reefs in the South China Sea into military bases and airstrips -- but such territory could be vulnerable to attack and nigh indefensible in the event of war, a new report has warned.
The bases are "lonely in the distant sea," and far from both the Chinese mainland and other islands in the vast disputed waters, which span some 3.3 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles), said Naval and Merchant Ships, a Beijing-based magazine published by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which supplies the People's Liberation Army.
"Islands and reefs in South China Sea have unique advantages in safeguarding national sovereignty and maintaining a military presence in the open sea, but they have natural weaknesses with regard to their own military defense," it added.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, and since 2014 has built up tiny reefs and sandbars into man-made artificial islands heavily fortified with missiles, runways and weapons systems -- prompting outcry from the other governments. At least six other governments also have overlapping territorial claims in the contested waterway: the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Beijing has experienced years turning islands and reefs in the South China Sea into armed force establishments and airstrips - yet such area could be unprotected against attack and close to flawed in the event of war, another report has forewarned.
The bases are "miserable in the difficult to reach sea," and far from both the Chinese region and various islands in the immense challenged waters, which range some 3.3 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles), said Naval and Merchant Ships, a Beijing-based magazine circulated by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which supplies the People's Liberation Army.
"Islands and reefs in South China Sea have uncommon good conditions in securing public force and keeping up a military presence in the untamed sea, anyway they have trademark deficiencies concerning their own military shield," it added.
China ensures essentially the total of the South China Sea, and since 2014 has created infinitesimal reefs and sandbars into man-made fake islands energetically empowered with rockets, runways and weapons systems - inciting protest from various governments. At any rate six distinct governments moreover have covering local cases in the tested stream: the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan.