Before and After: The South China Sea Transformed | Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

Source image: Google Earth

This map shows four land features in the Spratly Islands that have undergone significant construction or land reclamation work in the past year. They are: Itu Aba, Gaven Reef, Johnson South Reef, and Fiery Cross Reef. Read more details about the features of these projects and use click and drag the slider in the middle to see before and after photographs.

Photo credit: Google Earth

1. Itu Aba

The largest land feature in the Spratly Islands, the only Spratly Island with fresh ground water, and the only island that Taiwan occupies in the South China Sea
1.3 kilometers in length and less than half a square kilometer in total area
Held by Taiwan since 1946, when Japan left the island at the end of the Second World War
The Republic of China established a permanent base there in 1956
In 2000, Taiwan sent a Coast Guard deployment of 100 personnel to the island to replace a detachment of Marines and built an airstrip in 2008
Taiwan is currently in the midst of a $100 million Itu Aba port renovation that will allow it to accommodate frigates and coast guard cutters
It is also making improvements to its 1,200 meter runway, used mostly for C-130 cargo planes
Taiwan has also reportedly considered the permanent stationing of armed vessels on Itu Aba
In November 2014, Taiwan halted its Itu Aba port renovation after revelations that a Chinese ship and crew were involved in transport but it has since restarted
New reports out of Taiwan indicate that the runway renovation will be complete by the end of February, 2015

Photo credit: : ©CNES 2014, Distribution Airbus DS/IHS

2. Gaven Reef

Located in the Tizard Banks, controlled by China
China has had a troop and supply garrison here as far back as 2003
This has included a large supply platform where ships can dock, several gun emplacements, and radar and communications equipment
Significant construction began sometime after March 30, 2014 and was confirmed in August, 2014
The new artificial island is approximately 300 meters by 250 meters
A total of 114,000 square meters of new land has been created
A new building on Gaven Reef is almost identical to one on Hughes Reef, and includes a main square building with what appears to be an anti-aircraft tower

Photo credit: Google Earth

3. Johnson South Reef

7.2 square kilometer submerged reef in the Union Banks occupied by China
Until early 2014, the only manmade feature was a small concrete platform that housed a communications facility, garrison building, and pier
The platform is now surrounded by an island with an area of 100,000 square meters
There has been some speculation that Beijing may build an airstrip on Johnson South Reef, but some experts have argued that this would be too small to have a significant strategic impact

4. Fiery Cross Reef

Controlled by China, which garrisons approximately 200 troops and has radar and surveillance capabilities there
Active land reclamation began in August 2014, although activity around the reef commenced three months prior
Between August and November, Chinese dredgers created a land mass that spans the entire existing reef and is approximately 3,000 meters long and 200-300 meters wide
Photos taken by Digital Globe indicate that Chinese reclamation has increased the area of Fiery Cross Reef 11 times over, growing it from .08 square kilometers to .96 square kilometers.
Fiery Cross may now be more than three times larger than Itu Aba, formerly the largest of the Spratlys
Analysts believe that China may also be constructing an airstrip on Fiery Cross

Other Spratly Projects

These are some of the most notable South China Sea construction projects of the last year, but China and Taiwan are hardly the only two countries to have undertaken construction in the Spratlys. Vietnam captured Southwest Cay from the Philippines in 1975, and it has since built a harbor and other facilities there. Malaysia engaged in significant construction and reclamation at Swallow Reef after occupying it in 1983. The Philippines is planning to upgrade an airport and pier on Thitu Island. Until its work on Fiery Cross, China was the only major Spratlys claimant without an airstrip. What sets China’s activities apart, however, is that Beijing has been dramatically changing the size and structure of physical land features, while other claimants have built upon or modified existing land masses.