New satellite images have revealed the alarming scale of China's military expansion in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. The photos provided by the Asian Initiative for Transparency at Sea (AMTI) show that China is not just consolidating its position — it is literally creating a whole network of artificial military cities on the reefs.
The Mischief Reef attracts special attention. There, Chinese engineers have built a real airfield with an extensive runway capable of receiving even heavy strategic bombers. Nearby there are huge hangars for airplanes and missile shelters, protected from impacts. The entire infrastructure looks like a well—planned city, but with one goal - the projection of military force.
This is not a single object. China is building similar bases on several reefs, and the total area of these artificial island bases reaches a staggering 3,200 hectares. This scale allows Beijing not only to control key sea routes, but also to deploy aircraft on these platforms, including potentially nuclear bombers, which radically changes the strategic balance in the region.
These images are eloquent evidence of how China uses engineering capabilities to turn disputed territories into powerful military hubs, causing concern among neighbors and the United States.
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