China 'building runway in disputed South China Sea'

Yahoo! News ^ | April 17, 2015 | AFP News

[Leaning Right]

China is rapidly building an airstrip on an artificial island in disputed South China Sea waters, recent satellite pictures show, potentially ramping up tensions with several Southeast Asian neighbours.

Fiery Cross in the Spratly Islands was little more than a reef when China began land reclamation works to turn it into an island in late 2014.

[Leaning Right]

There is a picture of the airstrip at the link. It's actually rather impressive. But don't worry. A US spokesman has urged China to "restrain themselves". So that will certainly put an end to all the construction.

[C19fan]

This reminds me when Louis XIV started grabbing land from the Holy Roman Empire in the Rhineland. Eventually the other European powers had enough and war broke out.

[WKUHilltopper]

If I were Taiwan and knowing how Odingbat likes to hide under desks, I’d be sweating bullets.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Ping

[Mr. Jeeves]

It's all about oil. If China gets a stable, reliable source, all this expensive military adventurism will come to an end.

And it just so happens we have plenty in Alaska, not far away. Those who constantly complain about the trade deficit should approve of balancing it out by trading Alaskan oil for Chinese cash.

[Leaning Right]

If I were Taiwan and knowing how Odingbat likes to hide under desks, I’d be sweating bullets.

To be fair, Obama will probably respond to this provocation not by hiding, but by going golfing. Now if he heard that Putin was in town, that's hunker-under-the-desk time.

I sure do miss Ronald Reagan.

[WKUHilltopper]

I can see that. China invading Taiwan? Time to golf!

[stephenjohnbanker]

China will take pretty much whatever it wants. The whole world has sized up Obama, and laughed.

[blueunicorn6]

That’s a dredge deepening the harbor.

[spokeshave]

Maybe the Iranians will think its a beached US Aircraft Carrier and bomb it.

[Patton@Bastogne]

Ronald Reagan would have set-up a Patriot III missile battery by now ...

[aegiscg47]

This is more a political move than a military one. In any kind of a war that island is going to get plastered and there won't be anything left on it within a few hours. China is trying to threaten its neighbors into getting its way, but militarily this doesn't add much to the equation.

[ansel12]

Reagan didn't like runway building.

[dragnet2]

Those who constantly complain about the trade deficit should approve of balancing it out by trading Alaskan oil for Chinese cash.

The trade deficit was brought on by extremely wealthy greedy corrupt people and corrupt government mismanagement. The same SOB's who have zip allegiance to America. How could anyone not be angry?

Profits regardless of consequences.

[McGruff]

You take the East and I take the West. Deal?

[SevenofNine]

You got that right Vlady want be Tsar of all Russia terrority and China want the east

[Jacquerie]

Not to mention the Palatinate.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Purely humanitarian... when MH370 pops back out of the wormhole that swallowed it, the runway will be waiting.

[JoeFromSidney]

I can remember when runways like that were called "unsinkable aircraft carriers."