China has significantly stepped up its land reclamation activities on a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, according to satellite images. It may be the most significant land reclamation project China has undertaken in the South China Sea since it officially announced a halt to such work more than 10 years ago. It is also around 90km away from Woody Island, where China’s administrative hub for the South China Sea is situated. Some of these countries, most notably Vietnam, are trying to bolster their hold on the features they control in the resource-rich South China Sea. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Source: The Star March 14, 2026 21:59 UTC