Why military base on contested Paracels will be of ‘limited’ value to Beijing
Chinese observers weigh in amid rising concern over Beijing’s land reclamation activities at Antelope Reef
The strategic value to Beijing of a new military base in the contested Paracel Islands is likely to be limited, according to Chinese observers, as the South China Sea remains a focal point of regional tensions.
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History, money and military: why the South China Sea is so important to Beijing
The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, said in a report last week that developing Antelope Reef into a military base could enable Beijing to extend its surveillance range closer to Vietnam’s coast and further consolidate its control over the northern South China Sea.
Without mentioning the Antelope Reef, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday that the “construction” being carried out in the Paracels was “aimed at improving the living conditions of the islands’ residents and serving local economic development”.
Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think tank, said the location of Antelope Reef limited its military value for China.
“It is within China’s territorial sea baseline, and China already has a military base at Yongxing Island about 100km (62 miles) away, so I think its military value is relatively limited.”
He was referring to Woody Island, the largest in the Paracels archipelago and home to Beijing’s administrative hub overseeing its expansive claims in the South China Sea.