Is China’s massive island-building push at Antelope Reef nearing the finish line?
Satellite images suggest construction at the South China Sea atoll, now Beijing’s biggest outpost in the Paracels, is entering a new phase Meanwhile, four large, blue cylindrical storage silos have appeared at what looks like a concrete production plant in the northwest part of the reef, according to one image taken on June 24 – a sign that construction may be moving into the heavy infrastructure phase. Notably, one of the images released by the OSC showed that a long, reinforced quay was firmly in place in the southwestern corner of the lagoon. After a hiatus of nearly a decade, China jump-started its island-building campaign around October last year, when new dredging began at Antelope Reef, American news magazine Newsweek reported in early January, citing satellite imagery. A March analysis of satellite images by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative under the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that roughly 603 hectares (1,490 acres) of land had been reclaimed at the reef, known as Lingyang Jiao in China and Da Hai Sam in Vietnam.
