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China Builds Largest South China Sea Island as US Forces Shift to Iran

Since October 2025, China has created roughly 1,490 acres of new land at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands, with satellite imagery showing a straight edge suitable for a 9,000-foot runway.
Deploying a fleet of "dark dredgers" that gathered between Macau and Hong Kong, Beijing began this "massive industrial campaign" in December to transform the submerged coral into a foundation for permanent military infrastructure.
The site now rivals Mischief Reef in size at roughly 6.11 square kilometers, enabling China to extend its air and maritime reach while enhancing surveillance and anti-access capabilities across the vital trade corridor.
Vietnam issued a rare formal objection on Saturday over the work at Antelope Reef; Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang stated that "any foreign activities" without permission are "completely illegal and invalid."
As of March 30, 2026, the U.S. redeployed carrier strike groups to the Middle East, potentially leaving a strategic opening in the Indo-Pacific that analysts warn could allow China to consolidate outposts.

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Antelope Reef Could Now Be the Largest Island in the South China Sea | Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

Media reporting in early 2026 has highlighted new Chinese dredging and landfill activity at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands. This is the first significant artificial island-building Beijing has undertaken in the South China Sea since 2017. But the more consequential—and underreported—development may be the projected size of the artificial island. If construction proceeds at […]

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