Fiery Cross Reef

Fiery Cross Reef
Disputed island
Other names: Northwest Investigator Reef / Yongshu Reef / Kagitingan Reef / Đá Chữ Thập
Satellite image from 2000m
Geography
Location of Fiery Cross Reef
Location South China Sea
Coordinates 9°32′57″N 112°53′21″E / 9.54917°N 112.88917°E / 9.54917; 112.88917Coordinates: 9°32′57″N 112°53′21″E / 9.54917°N 112.88917°E / 9.54917; 112.88917
Archipelago Spratly Islands
Area Natural: 0 ha
Reclaimed: 274 ha[1]
Administered by
People's Republic of China
Prefecture-level city Sansha
Claimed by
People's Republic of China
Republic of the Philippines
Taiwan
Vietnam

Fiery Cross Reef, also known as "Northwest Investigator Reef", Yongshu Island (永暑岛) or Yongshu Reef (永暑礁) by the Chinese,[2] "Kagitingan Reef" by the Filipinos,[3] and "Đá Chữ Thập" by the Vietnamese, was a group of three reefs on the western edge of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. The area is controlled by China (as part of Sansha[4]) and is also claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The reef was named after the Fiery Cross, a British Tea Clipper lost there on 4 March 1860 (later its more famous sister ship took the same name). The reef was surveyed by Lieutenant J. W. Reed of the HMS Rifleman, who reported it to be one extensive reef in 1867, and found the apparent wrecks of the Fiery Cross and the Meerschaum.[5]

Fiery Cross Reef has been occupied by China since 1988 when a UNESCO Marine observation station was built there. In 2014, China commenced reclamation activity in the area, and it has been converted into an artificial island of 2.74 square kilometres (1.06 sq mi).[1] There were around 200 Chinese troops on the reef in late 2014,[6] though this number was likely to have increased significantly in 2015 with the addition of support personnel for the new airbase (including 3,125 m-long runway) [7] and associated early warning radar site.

Geographical features

On 12 July 2016, the tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration concluded that Fiery Cross Reef contains, within the meaning of Article 121(1) of the Convention, naturally formed areas of land, surrounded by water, which are above water at high tide. However, for purposes of Article 121(3) of the Convention, the high-tide features at Fiery Cross Reef is rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own and accordingly shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.[8]

GLOSS sea level monitoring station

In 1987, following a UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) meeting in March, it was agreed that the PRC would build weather stations in the South China sea as part of the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) survey.[9]

During the meeting of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO 17 March - 1 April in Paris, the Delegate of the People'Republic of China, speaking higly of GLOSS, noted a few mistakes in the text of Document IOC/INF-663 rev.; for instance, "Taiwan" is listed as a "country" in relevant Tables contained in the Document. He therefore requested that such mistakes be corrected in the forthcoming revision of the Document.[10] The scientists from Global Sea Level Observing System agreed that China would install tide gauges on what it considered to be its coasts in the East China Sea and on the "Nansha islands" in South China Sea. The scientists were unaware of regional political disputes, including Taiwanese territorial claims to one of the Spratly islands.[11]

In April 1987, the PRC chose to build a weather station on Fiery Cross reef as the reef was large enough for the purpose, and it was isolated from other disputed islands and reefs.[12] However, this caused further skirmishes with Vietnam when, in January 1988, some Vietnamese ships with construction materials tried to approach the reef in a bid to construct Vietnamese structures.

The weather station was commissioned by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission(IOC). Construction was commenced in February 1988 and completed in August 1988.[13]

Land reclamation

Main article: Great wall of sand
Fiery Cross Reef being transformed, May 2015

During 2014 the PRC government began reclamation activities to construct a large artificial island to support an approximately 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) airstrip and seaport.[14][15][16] Although the PRC has a 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) runway in the Paracel Islands, China had been at a "distinct disadvantage" compared with other claimants in the Spratly Islands as it was the only claimant that did not have an island hosting an airfield. The airport was completed in January 2016, and is currently the southernmost one within the area controlled by the People's Republic of China.[17][18] China also test-landed civil aircraft, two airliners, one from China Southern Airlines and another from Hainan Airlines, there in January 2016.[19][20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Fiery Cross reef tracker". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  2. ↑ "从永暑礁到永暑岛 (From Yongshu Reef to Yongshu Island)" (in Chinese). Tencent News. 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
  3. ↑ DJ Sta. Ana, News5 (2011-05-24). "China builds more Spratly outposts". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  4. ↑ Joe Burgess (2012-05-31). "Territorial Claims in South China Sea". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  5. ↑ Findlay, Alexander George (1878). A Directory for the Navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan (2nd ed.). London: Richard Holmes Laurie. p. 625.
  6. ↑ DJ Sta. Ana, The Philippine Star (13 June 2014). "China reclaiming land in 5 reefs?". ABS-CBNnews.com. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "China completes runway on Fiery Cross Reef". janes.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "Award" (PDF). Permanent Court of Arbitration. 12 July 2016. p.259
  9. ↑ Lee, Lai To (1999). China sea and South China sea dialogues. Greenwood Publishing group. ISBN 0275966356. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "IOC. Assembly; 14th session; (Report)" (PDF). 1 April 1987. p. 41.
  11. ↑ "South China Sea Treacherous Shoals", Far Eastern Economic Review, August 13, 1992: p14-17
  12. ↑ Koo, Min Gyo (2010). Island Disputes and Maritime Regime Building in East Asia. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 1441962239. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  13. ↑ Boothroyd, Adrienne. "OWN-ING THE ISLANDS: CHINA'S MOVE INTO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA A STUDY OF CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY" (PDF). www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Hardy, James; O'Connor, Sean (20 November 2014). "China building airstrip-capable island on Fiery Cross Reef". IHS Janes Defence Weekly. IHS. IHS Janes 360. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Hardy, James; O'Connor, Sean (16 April 2015). "China's first runway in Spratlys under construction". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "China building runway in disputed South China Sea island". BBC. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  17. ↑ http://cablenews.i-cable.com/webapps/news_video/index.php?news_id=473722
  18. ↑ http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1234041-20160106.htm
  19. ↑ http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-lands-test-flight-in-disputed-island-chain-1451794765
  20. ↑ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/01/07/1540201/2-chinese-commercial-planes-land-kagitingan-reef
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