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China’s 3,000m South China Sea Runway Alters Taiwan’s Southern Flank

Beijing nears completion of a 3,000-metre runway on Antelope Reef, the longest in the disputed Paracel Islands.

FP ·11:22 · hace 2 hours
3 min read SOUTH CHINA SEA
South China Sea
Satellite imagery shows China’s near-complete 3,000-metre runway on Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands.

China is finalizing construction on Antelope Reef in the South China Sea, transforming the once-natural formation into a military installation with the region’s longest airstrip. Satellite images analyzed by defense researcher Damien Symon show that work began in December 2025 and has rapidly advanced, with a 3,000-meter runway now nearly complete. This surpasses the 2,750-meter runway on nearby Mischief Island, making it capable of accommodating all Chinese military aircraft. The Paracel Islands, fully controlled by China since its 1974 military operation that displaced Vietnamese forces at the cost of 75…

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