By Shannon Tiezzi
After the first test landing on a new runway in the Spratly, China is highlighting the civilian uses for its airstrip.
On January 2, China conducted the first-ever landing on the new airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea, drawing diplomatic protests from Vietnam and the Philippines. In the days since then, Chinese officials have been justifying Beijing’s decision to construct the new airstrip in the disputed Spratly Islands, to which Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also having varying claims.
At over 3,000 meters long, the runway at Fiery Cross Reef is large enough to be used by any Chinese military aircraft, from long-range bombers to fighter jets. According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, similarly sized airstrips are believed to be under construction at Subi Reef and Mischief Reef. Four of the other five rival claimants (Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam) also have airstrips in the Spratly Islands, but the Fiery Cross airstrip is over twice as long as the next largest (Malaysia’s 1,300 meter airstrip at Swallow Reef) and is the only one capable of accommodating bombers.
Despite the clear military applications of China’s new runway(s) in the South China Sea, Beijing has been insistent that the primary purpose of its new facilities is civilian. Since the first detailed official explanation for the construction was provided in April 2015, Chinese officials have consistently claimed that the new facilities will be used to provide civilian services, including maritime search and rescue, navigation aid, marine research, and even weather observation.
The landing on January 2 was pointedly conducted by a civilian aircraft; according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, the purpose was to “test whether or not the facilities on it meet the standards for civil aviation.” Hua added that the test flight “falls completely within China’s sovereignty,” as “China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters” (Nansha is the Chinese term for the Spratlys).
Read the full story at The Diplomat