Satellite Image Of The Lingshui Military Airfield On The Southeastern Coast Of Haina (Photo : Getty Images)
China continues to insist ownership of disputed islands in the South China Sea and flexed its military might by landing two civilian jets on Wednesday morning on a new airfield it built on Spratly Islands. The aircraft landed on Yongshu Jiao in the Nansha Islands, which is how China calls the Spratlys.
The two planes did not stay long but flew back to Haiku the same day, reports CNN. Haiku is in Hainan Province. Vietnam, the Philippines and several other Asian nations are also claiming the islands.
A Chinese plane first landed on the island on Saturday. It was a test flight to check if the new facilities are at par with civil aviation standards, says Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry.
The airfield on Spratly is just one of three disputed islands where China as built airstrips and other facilities. China has confirmed on Saturday constructing another airfield on Fiery Cross Reef, which is among the 2,000 acres of land that China has reclaimed in the past two years. The Asian giant dredged the islands and built airstrips, ports and lighthouses.
Calls by the U.S. for China to halt the construction activities remain unheeded. In dismissing Vietnam's protest, Hua insists, "China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters. China will not accept the unfounded accusation from the Vietnamese side," quotes Economic Times.
