China has turned a reef in disputed waters off the Philippines into a massive fortified military base

March 31 2025 9 410 9

Beijing is actively declaring its rights to islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Spratly archipelago is claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, but the advantage is clearly with the Celestial Empire.

A Philippine Air Force patrol plane today captured images of a new PLA military base on a reef in the disputed archipelago. The footage shows the once lifeless Mischief Reef has been transformed into a full-fledged military city.

It houses not only houses for PLA military personnel and a berth for warships, but also an airstrip, radar stations, air defense systems and other defensive structures.

This base is one of several created by China in the region and reflects the PLA's concept of creating "navies on the water." Such reefs with additional reclaimed territories are used as strongholds for demonstrating power in the South China Sea. At the same time, Beijing does not need to build expensive aircraft carriers and move its navy to the shores of a potential enemy. It is known that a similar base is being created on the Fiery Cross reef not far from the one shown today by the Philippine military.

However, the PLA Navy also is involved to demonstrate force in the southern part of the Asia-Pacific region. Let us recall that in late February, a small squadron led by a frigate made the Australian authorities nervous. Canberra closely monitored the maneuvers of Chinese ships off the coast of the country and repeatedly declared their "dangerous behavior." At the same time, the ships were in international waters and did not violate Australia's maritime borders.

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vlad127490

+3

31 March 2025 21: 46

Might rules the world. Might is always right. China, in its behavior, completely copies the USA. No one can oppose China in the South China and Philippine Seas, not even the USA with its base on Guam.
1. isofat
  
  -5
  
  31 March 2025 23: 40
  
  Strength is intelligence, it is not necessary, this is a simplified view of what is happening. Strong fools and idiots are usually controlled. Or treated.
  In other words, strength without intelligence will not bring success.
2. L_L
  
  -3
  
  April 1 2025 00: 39
  
  And in the center, an underwater volcano.
  And no one knows what to do about it.
beeper

+2

31 March 2025 22: 45

The most important capital of any state is its people!
Without people, everything becomes dead and falls into decay, but with people, it comes to life and breathes (with reasonable management of people, everything develops and flourishes)!
A resurgent China is behaving as befits a superpower, which is why the other world superpower, the United States of America, which has been the undisputed "dominant" geopolitics since 1991, is now so alarmed by its broken "unipolarity"!
Even "our own bourgeois" from the Russian Federation are trying to play "their own game" (like "a monkey rummaging in the bushes, while two big tigers are irreconcilably busy - grinning menacingly, showing their claws and growling threateningly at each other") against the backdrop of these "squabbles" between the USA and China.
The Chinese authorities are great in this regard - they are very pragmatic in guarding the interests of their country, they clearly monitor the situation in the circle of their state interests (first of all, and then business interests, and not vice versa, as the "Kremlin towers" do, for whom "bullshit" is in first place, even if it is to the detriment of the state interests of the country in the near and distant "perspective") and do not allow emotions, false psychological and ideological attitudes, to interfere with their state-building and the development of the country's economy - quietly, with only the necessary minimum of "demonstration of claws and teeth", more economic "techniques", latently-neo-colonialistly subjugating the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America (and the Russian Far East, "quietly" - "soft power", with complete non-resistance from the Russian business-political authorities - they are also, alas, approaching the Arctic), which the American "The hegemons", of course, don't like it - they are trying to "slow down" the Chinese with their puppets in the governments of these countries.
1. Gorum Murog
  
  -2
  
  31 March 2025 23: 15
  
  And what about China and Taiwan? Everywhere, like "a monkey rummaging in the bushes, while two big tigers are irreconcilably busy - grinning menacingly, showing their claws and growling threateningly at each other"... Or is it something else?
  1. vlad127490
    
    +3
    
    31 March 2025 23: 47
    
    According to the laws of the PRC, Taiwan is an integral part of mainland China. The US and the UN recognize Taiwan as territory of the PRC. The PRC will not rush with Taiwan; in 10-20 years, Taiwan will quietly and peacefully return to mainland China. Taiwan separated in 1949.
2. vlad127490
  
  +2
  
  April 1 2025 00: 07
  
  The state is ruled by power, history is made by individuals. In the PRC, power reflects the interests of the Chinese state. In the Russian Federation, power is "foreign", they consider themselves citizens of Israel and the EU, Chubais is an example, they do not express the national interests of Russia. There is no point in discussing who is better for the Russian Federation, both the USA and the PRC are potential enemies for the Russian Federation, history has confirmed this. The PRC is a neighbor for Russia, a trader, but not an ally or a partner.
twice-born

+2

31 March 2025 22: 55

I have admired these Chinese islands for a long time and I envy them! We would like to have at least one of these in the Pacific Ocean, or better yet, two, to support each other!
Such colossi are poured into the ocean on half-submerged reefs and in fact entire cities are built on a bare spot with all the necessary infrastructure! I have always been very interested and pleased by their structure and scale.
Alexpan

+1

April 2 2025 19: 56

strength without intelligence will not bring success

Why do you think China is not smart? It is China that has succeeded better than anyone else, in everything.