China appears to be building airstrip on disputed island

Last Updated18/08/2023

According to satellite photos, China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island - Triton island.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own, denying the claims of others and defying an international ruling invalidating its assertion.

It is one of the major islands in the Paracel group in the South China Sea.
It is the westernmost and southernmost of the Paracel Islands.
It is roughly equidistant from the coast of Vietnam and China’s island province of Hainan.
The island is administered by the People's Republic of China and is also claimed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam.
China seized full control of the Paracels from Vietnam in a brief 1974 naval conflict.

An arm of the western Pacific Ocean that borders the Southeast Asian mainland.
Bordered by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
It is connected by the Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by the Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea
It Comprises three archipelagos namely, the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Pratas Islands and Macclesfield’s Bank and Scarborough Shoal.
China’s Nine Dash Line: Defines area claimed by China in the South China Sea - by far the largest portion of the Sea.

An international agreement that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities.
Divides marine areas into five main zones
- Internal Waters,
- Territorial Sea,
- Contiguous Zone,
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
- High Seas.
Provides specific guidance for states’ rights and responsibilities in the five concentric zones.
While UNCLOS has been signed and ratified by nearly all the coastal countries in the South China Sea, its interpretation is still hotly disputed.