China is going to invite private investment to develop infrastructure on islands in the disputed South China Sea region. It aims to initiate regular flights this year from one of the islands naming Woody Islands. The move is believed to cause anguish to other claimants.
China claims almost whole of the energy- rich South China Sea waters. The area appears to be strategically important since maritime trade worth $5 trillion is conducted using this navigation route every year. China Sea adjoining Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan are the other claimants over the disputed territory.
China has reportedly developed Sansha City on Woody Island in the Paracels to establish supremacy over the native islands in 2012. China's efforts appear questionable due to lower population in the city. What so ever the scenario appears, China welcomes private investment and aims to initiate public-private-partnership program, reports Reuters quoting state run Xinhua News Agency.
China plans to construct a maritime medical center. It has also plans to build submarine optical fiber network and bring all the islets and reefs under WIFI coverage. The democratic socialist country also intends to launch regular flights from this year with the proposed private investment, reports Business Insider quoting Feng Wenhai, deputy mayor of Sansha City.
After a naval showdown with Vietnam, China has established supremacy over the Paracels in 1974. Vietnamese have raised protest in Hanoi following establishment of Sansha City and attempts to extract oil from the disputed offshore blocks.
Conduction of test flight by Chinese civil aircraft on the Fiery Cross Reef of Spratly Islands has flared tension between the two rival neighboring countries. Consequently, tensions are being mounted between Vietnam and China in recent weeks. China has been reported to build three runways by dredging sand up on the reefs and tolls of Spratly Islands, reports Yahoo News.
Chinese aircrafts have landed on an illegally built reef inside the Vietnamese maritime boundary, alleges Vietnam and vows to defend its sovereignty through peaceful measures. In retaliatory efforts, Chinese state media has aired pictures of the first batch civilian passengers arriving on Fiery Cross Reef by plane.
The civilians inside frame include two women and two young children. However, there exist strong reasons to believe that the so called civilians are family members of the troop base deployed thereto.
China has invited for private investments in infrastructure developments across the disputed Woody Islands and aims to operate regular flights by this year. However, Chinese activities have created tensions among its neighboring countries which have overlapping claims over ownership of the islands located in the China Sea Region. Trade consignments worth $5 trillion pass through this naval route every year and all Chinese efforts are aimed to establish its supremacy over this sea path.
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