Vietnam’s island reclamation activities in the South China Sea made headlines in 2024 with a record area of land created and several airstrips planned on the new islands.

Some observers predict that the island will become China's most advanced military facility and most important strategic base in the South China Sea, with the potential to reach 60 sq km (23 square ...

In China's own words, Beijing is now building what it sees as "necessary military facilities" in the South China Sea.

Although China is not the first state to build an airstrip in the South China Sea, it is the first state to employ island-building technologies to transform a contested maritime ...

A major upgrade of the airstrip on the island, known locally ... Mischief, and Fiery Cross reefs - have transformed the South China Sea into a heavily militarised zone. A 2016 ruling by an ...