China’s statement is different from what they are doing right now, as they kept on building a combat-capable air facility on Zamora (Subi) Reef in the South China Sea, in a development which is seen by international observers to jeopardize the Philippines’ possession of nearby Pag-asa Island, the nearest inhabited islands of the Filipinos in the hotly-contested West Philippine Sea.
The latest development in the South China Sea was revealed through some satellite photos published on Thursday by the website The Diplomat which shows that China is subgrading for a runway at a width of about 60 meters.
According to the website statement, the extent of subgrading at Zamora Reef is about 2,200 meters “with obvious preparations for a longer span underway.”
The Diplomat also noted that “As pointed out by analysts, these military facilities and others newly constructed by China in the Spratlys would increase Beijing’s capacity to enforce an air defense identification zone in the South China Sea, if it were to declare one,” The Diplomat report said.
The latest development in the project of China are also expected to significantly improve the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s capability for anti-submarine warfare as noted by the website.
