PLAN SCS Bases/Islands/Vessels (Not a Strategy Page)

Well with all this talk of hidden events, we have to remember rumors about such things are rife in every major power in the world today. For example in the US where Hillary Clinton was accused of letting the two Navy Seals in Libya die because she wanted to hide her involvement with the Libyan rebels.

solarz said:

The incident ostensibly happened in 1990. The biggest problem China had with garrisoning those islands was communication, which was unreliable with the technology China had at the time. According to the article I linked, a ship was sent to investigate after contact was lost with the outpost.

A small garrison without support will always be vulnerable, not matter the training or protocol. This is probably why most of those disputed islands are ungarrisoned.

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Thanks for posting the link to the detailed article. Given the lack of evidence, several dead, several MIA, and the big picture circumstances at the time it is not surprising that the findings of the investigation are still secret. As the article noted the possibility that it was a case of personal issues within the garrison could not be ruled out by what is public knowledge about the case but I think the investigation would have been able to determine that to a good level of confidence.

Despite China's limited capabilities and resources at the time I would still say that the small garrison was both a tactical and strategic miscalculation to begin with by being overly low key and/or stingy. They could have afforded a larger garrison instead of just a small garrison or no garrison, everything has a price including a commitment reaching critical mass. At worst they could have deliberately ran a naval vessel aground like the Philippines did.

2016-04-14 08:18 | Global Times | Editor: Li Yan

A new Chinese cruise ship has sailed towards the Xisha Islands on Wednesday, reflecting China's claim over its territorial waters, Chinese experts said.

The Beibu Gulf Star, a cruise ship that can carry around 300 people, departed from the port of Sanya, South China's Hainan Province on Wednesday on its first voyage through the Xisha Islands route, replacing its predecessor Coconut Princess, local media outlet Hinews reported.

The cruise service, provided four times a month, allows tourists to visit the Xisha Islands, such as Yinyu and Yagong, and have the opportunity to engage in diving and fishing activities. But they are forbidden from taking away coral reefs, an employee of the China International Travel Agency Hainan Province told the Global Times.

A chance to raise the national flag and sing the national anthem on Yinyu Island is also included in the package, according to the company, with prices ranging from 2,880 yuan ($445) to 19,400 yuan for four days and three nights.

"The trips are limited to Chinese citizens," the employee said, adding that tourists only need to register their ID cards, but refused to comment on foreign applicants.

The first group of 100 tourists was only allowed to sign up after a screening process when the Coconut Princess landed in Xisha Islands on April 28, 2013. Trips made to Xisha Islands topped 2,000 in 2013, the China News Service reported.

Such trips combine sightseeing and patriotic education, as tourism is a way to show the civil jurisdiction of the area, Liu Feng, a Hainan-based South China Sea expert, told the Global Times.

"Promoting tourism in the Xisha Islands reflects our jurisdiction over the waters," Liu said.

Meanwhile, Liu said promoting the Xisha Islands should be based on ecological conservation by strengthening laws, law enforcement and public education.

Xiao Jie, the mayor of Sansha and a national representative, told media during the two sessions in March that the air route to the Xisha Islands is scheduled to be finalized this year.

Pictures of Dongmen Island dated April 2016.





The view of the island and where the building/structures are located.


This is the line of sight of the camera that took the picture.

Pictures of Ganquan (Robert) Island in the Paracels dated April 11, 2016.





Looks like reclamation has started on Ganquan Island. Or some construction work is occurring on the island, a jetty perhaps.

Well with all this talk of hidden events, we have to remember rumors about such things are rife in every major power in the world today. For example in the US where Hillary Clinton was accused of letting the two Navy Seals in Libya die because she wanted to hide her involvement with the Libyan rebels.

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Some people allege an alien ship crashed at Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Do you believe everything you read on the internet?

I'm suprised to see reclamation work on Ganquan Island because it's uninhabited. I'm hoping leaves some of the Paracel Islands untouched to preserve the environment.

Geographer said:

I'm suprised to see reclamation work on Ganquan Island because it's uninhabited. I'm hoping leaves some of the Paracel Islands untouched to preserve the environment.

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I'm guessing at this point, they want presence and sensors of sorts. Perhaps they should invest more in airship technology to provide a 24/7 surveillance capability and minimize physical impact.

2016-04-14 10:46 | People's Daily Online | Editor:Li Yan

People’s Liberation Army Daily (PLA Daily), the official newspaper of the People's Liberation Army, published an article featuring a “route map” for travelling to Xisha Islands in South China Sea on April 9, 2016. The PLA Daily also held lottery online and picked three winners to join their correspondents for a trip to the Islands on the same day. The Xisha Islands can be reached by cruise “North Bay Star”, which can accommodate some 300 tourists and currently makes four to five trips to Xisha each month. An airport terminal has also been built on Xisha Islands and direct flights to Beijing and other cities are to be open, according to Xiao Jie, mayor of Xisha city.

(Xisha Islands are also known as the Paracel Islands.)

The following photos show the beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)


An old photo of Yongxing Island (without the newer reclamation).


Qilian Yu (Seven Islets).


A beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)


Beautiful corals of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)


Scuba diving among the fishes in Xisha Islands. (Photo/81.cn)


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)

(to be continues in the next two posts as I can only post a maximum of six per post. I wonder if the admin will increase my limit of pictures per post.)

continued from my previous post.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
Absolutely gorgeous!


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
A time lapsed picture at night.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
Another time lapsed picture at night.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
Tourist boats in the tranquil islands.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
Soldiers patrolling a beach. Not sure what the Chinese characters say, my Chinese is rather limited.

continued from my previous post.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
Soldiers patrolling a beach.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
Two soldiers on duty.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
Two soldiers on duty in the evening.


The beautiful scenery of Xisha Islands.(Photo/81.cn)
This is the last picture.