Vietnam is extending a runway on an island it claims in the South China Sea in apparent response to China’s building of military facilities on artificial islands in the region, a US thinktank has reported. AMTI, a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies thinktank, said continued reclamation work would likely mean the runway was extended to more than 1.2 km. South China Sea dispute: what you need to know about The Hague court ruling Read moreIt said the upgraded runway would be able to accommodate maritime surveillance aircraft and transport planes, as well as combat aircraft. China has built military-length runways on three artificial islands it has built up in the South China Sea since 2013. Military analysts said the deployment of the launchers was the most significant defensive move Vietnam has made on its holdings in the South China Sea in decades and it underscored Hanoi’s concerns about China’s assertive pursuit of territorial claims in the disputed region.

Source: The Guardian November 18, 2016 00:45 UTC