Antelope Reef (Chinese name: Lingyang Jiao (羚羊礁); Vietnamese name: Đá Hải Sâm) is a small reef in the South China Sea contested by the People's Republic of China, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Republic of China (Taiwan). It is part of the Crescent archipelago in the southwestern portion of the Paracel islands, and is located approximately 162 nautical miles (300 km) from Sanya Port in China's Hainan province and 216 nautical miles (400 km) from Da Nang, Vietnam.[1]
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China has as of April 2026 reclaimed 1,490 acres (600 ha) and greatly expanded its military assets there,[2][3] part of its claim of much of the South China Sea (vis. nine-dash line).[4][5][6] The suddenness and scale of the illegal[7] seizure and build-up, particularly after a pause of nearly a decade[1] in such military engineering projects, surprised Western analysts.[8]
References
edit- 1 2 "Antelope Reef Could Now Be the Largest Island in the South China Sea". Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. CSIS. 19 March 2026.
- ↑ "南海为何成中美博弈的主战场 岛礁建设改变战略格局_军事频道_中华网". military.china.com.
- ↑ Honrada, Gabriel (January 13, 2026). "China's Antelope Reef dredge deepens South China Sea tensions".
- ↑ Brown, Austin Ramzy and Emma (July 14, 2025). "How China's Military Is Flexing Its Power in the Pacific". The Wall Street Journal.
- ↑ Kong, Gabriele Steinhauser in Manila and Austin Ramzy in Hong (April 28, 2025). "China, Philippines Make Rival Claims in Disputed South China Sea". The Wall Street Journal.
- ↑ "This is Antelope Reef, China's new military outpost in the South China Sea". telegraph.co.uk. 2026-04-09.
- ↑ "China Seizes An Island While The World Is Watching Iran". forbes.com. 2026-04-11. Archived from the original on 2026-04-13.
- ↑ Cherney, Mike (April 2, 2026). "China Is Building Another Massive Base in the South China Sea". The Wall Street Journal.