World·South China Sea
China speeds runway work on Antelope Reef in the South China Sea, satellite images show
Chinese construction of a full-scale runway on Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands is well underway, with analysts estimating completion by mid-2027, Reuters reported Friday after reviewing commercial satellite images taken Sept. 25 by Vantor. The images show grading work, piles of gravel and concrete, compaction cranes, and a gravel barge headed to a newly built wharf. Ben Lewis of PLATracker said that if China’s earlier Fiery Cross Reef build is a guide, the runway could be paved in the first half of 2027 with a first landing by mid-year; Chinese state media have described civilian uses while Beijing has not acknowledged a new military base.
Sources
- ReutersChinese work gathering pace on Antelope Reef in South China Sea, latest satellite images show