Washington: Despite losing its case at an international court in The Hague, China appears in no mood to let go of its claims in the disputed South China Sea.
The New York Times reported that recent satellite photographs – made public by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank - show China having built reinforced aircraft hangars on its holdings in the Spratly Islands.
The hangars constructed on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs, part of the Spratly Islands have room for any fighter jet in the Chinese air force. However, there were no military aircraft stationed in the hangers at the time when the photos were taken.
"They are far thicker than you would build for any civilian purpose," Gregory Poling, director of CSIS's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, told the Times. "They're reinforced to take a strike."
China claims most of the South China Sea despite the claims made by The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei over their share of the waters.
The images have emerged about a month after an international court in The Hague ruled against China's sweeping claims in the resource-rich region, a ruling emphatically rejected by Beijing.
The United States has urged China and other claimants not to militarise their holdings in the South China Sea. China has repeatedly denied doing so, saying the facilities were for civilian and self-defence uses, and in turn criticized US patrols and exercises for ramping up tensions in the region.
With agency inputs
