President Xi Jinping’s ambitious plan has seen the recovery of artificial landmasses at the Paracel and Spratly islands and the formation of a secret maritime militia of armed vessels, under the guise of fishing boats. China has based military forces at both of these two island chains, including missile and electronic warfare units. In 2018, American intelligence claimed the weapons and equipment on both islands included the YJ-12B anti-ship cruise missile and HQ-9B surface-to-air missile systems. Aircraft including the J-10 and J-11 fighter jets are based at Woody island. Maritime Y-8 patrol aircraft and Y-7 military transport aircraft operate from Subi reef as well as military jamming equipment. Warships regularly deploy to the area with Type 053, Type 053H1, Type 053H3 frigates and Type 056 corvettes as well as Type 051B Luhai-class destroyers. Landing ships capable of deploying tanks, artillery and logistic vehicles have also been seen on the region. Spy ships, known as AGIs (Auxiliary Gathering Intelligence), including both the Type 815G and Type 639 have been spotted as well as the Harbin BZK-005 high altitude drone. Armed Coastguard ships, many of which are former Type 053H1 frigates routinely operate in the area. To date, China shows no sign of entering a negotiation with its neighbours or international partners as its drives forward a plan to control access and develop its economy at any cost to other nations.
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest waterways, rich in resources such as natural gas and oil as well as being the ‘fishing basket’ which feeds the people of Asia. It is also one of the world’s most contested maritime areas, with various countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines claiming sovereignty of islands, reefs and fishing areas in direct challenge to China’s unlawful claims. Critically, the South China Sea is one of the world’s most important fisheries and
