Land reclamation activity on Kennan Reef, also known as Hughes Reef, began in May 2014 on the northeastern part. Reclamation work has expanded the reef by approximately 76,000 square meters. A large central structure and possibly an anti-aircraft system have been built during this time.
Land reclamation work on Fiery Cross Reef, which is controlled by China, began in the summer of 2014. A decision to expand the reef was reported in the Hong Kong press in June, and commercial satellite images showing the extent of land reclamation work became available in October. In total, approximately 2.7 square kilometers of land have been added to the reef. The most important strategic asset added at the site is a 3,125-meter runway, and the reef is also host to two helipads.
Itu Aba Island, along with nearby Zhongzhou reef, has been controlled by the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 1946. It is the largest of the naturally occurring features in the Spratly archipelago and the only one with natural freshwater supplies. Itu Aba has undergone roughly 32,000 square meters of land reclamation since August 2013 and is home to many notable facilities that have been built since the Republic of China took control. These include a hospital, weather stations, radar equipment, a solar-powered lighthouse, an airport, and airbase along with accompanying military and coast guard personnel.
Since China took control of Johnson Reef from Vietnam after a clash in 1988, the site has hosted a lone communications platform. Since March 2012, however, the reef has been expanded by 3.95 square kilometers following a major land reclamation campaign. Chinese construction crews have erected radar facilities, communications equipment, anti-aircraft weapons, and a helipad.
On September 11, 2012, the government of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda nationalized three islands in the Senkaku/Diaoyu chain, which are claimed by China and Taiwan. Minamiko-jima is one of the three islands. The other two are Uotsuri-shimai and Kita-ko-shima.
The Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea is a non-binding multilateral agreement standardizing safety protocols, basic communications, and basic maneuvering at sea for ships and aircraft. Over twenty countries adopted the code in 2014 at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao, China.
North Island lies approximately 12 kilometers (6.5 nautical miles) north of Woody Island in the Amphitrite Group of the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands. The island is 300 kilometers (162 nautical miles) southeast of China’s Yulin/Longpo naval base. Satellite imagery taken in early 2016 showed the creation of a land bridge connecting North Island with its neighbor, Middle Island, just a few kilometers southeast. In March 2017, imagery revealed erosion of part of the bridge and new land cleared on North Island.
Sand Cay is the fourth largest of the features controlled by Vietnam in the Spratly Islands. Since August 2011 Vietnam has expanded the reef by 21,000 square meters and has constructed new military structures with defensive capabilities such as gun installations.
Located 120 nautical miles west of the northern Philippines, Scarborough Shoal is claimed by both Manila and Beijing. In 2012, a stand-off between Chinese and Philippine maritime law enforcement vessels was resolved through U.S. mediation. The China Coast Guard maintains a presence near the shoal and has reportedly prevented other nations’ fishing vessels from entering its enclosed lagoon.
The size of Subi Reef has grown by 3.95 square kilometers since July 2014, when Chinese dredging ships began working on the maritime feature. The most notable addition to the reef is a runway of around 2,200 meters, which may be extended by around another 1,000 meters. This runway, first identified in a satellite image taken in April 2015, is the third Chinese combat-capable runway in the South China Sea.