China is no long making more artificial islands to bolster its territorial claims in the South China Sea—it has moved on to developing them, adding aircraft hangars, communications equipment, and weapons positions. That's one conclusion of the Pentagon's annual report on the Chinese military, and it's a finding that contradicts Chinese leader Xi Jinping's pledge to not militarize the contested region, which is also claimed by many of China's neighbors.

In 2009, Beijing set off alarm bells by circulating a map in which it appeared to claim up to 90 percent of the South China Sea. The territorial claim intruded on competing claims by neighbors including Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia. Starting in 2014, China began using dredging equipment to expand existing reefs and shoals in the region into full-fledged "islands," adding 2,300 acres of new "land" to the Spratly Islands.

Satellite photo of Chinese occupied Subi Reef showing new runaway. Subi Reef has added 976 acres of new dry land. NASA/USGS photo. Getty Images

In early 2015, Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed not to militarize the islands, saying, "Relevant construction activities that China are undertaking in the island of South — Nansha [Spratly] Islands do not target or impact any country, and China does not intend to pursue militarization." China has claimed its activities in the South China Sea are strictly limited to safety, tourism, and scientific research.

Despite this pledge, outside observers have noted several military facilities, including anti-ship missile systems , surface to air missiles , and communications facilities. The new Department of Defense report ( available here ) states China has built advanced runways and 24 fighter-sized hangars on three of the "islands." That's enough for a regiment of People's Liberation Army Air Force fighters, an organization broadly comparable to a U.S. Air Force wing of 48 to 72 aircraft. China has said the aircraft runaways are in part necessary for tourism flights—but it is unclear why a single island would need 24 hangars too small for civilian airline aircraft.

Woody Island -- known as Yongxing Island to China. China has deployed advanced surface to air missiles and J-11BH fighters to the island. Visual China Group Getty Images

China claims that while it has pledged not to militarize the South China Sea, it does reserve the right to maintain enough military facilities to guard the territory. Whether or not China has any right to this territory to begin aside, China's statement begs the question as to what exactly constitutes " defensive military facilities ." The United States, Australia, and Japan have all conducted so-called "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea in defiance of China's claims, sailing warships there in a gesture of defiance. Beijing promptly uses those incidents as justification to increase the level of military forces it maintains in the islands.

Source: DefenseOne

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