Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Fiery Cross Reef on May 21. China has just landed a military jet on the controversial island.

China has turned a strategically important reef into probably the biggest island in the Spratlys, Chinese scholars say, and the expansion is expected to continue.

The airstrip, located on Fiery Cross Reef, is more than 3,000 meters long and appears to be complete due to the new presence of runway heading markings and helipad designators.

For context, Beijing’s efforts to militarize Fiery Cross Reef are only a small part of China’s massive and controversial program to create a “Great Wall of Sand” across the South China Sea ...

China has conducted extensive land reclamation work at Fiery Cross Reef, including building an airport, one of several Chinese-controlled features in the South China Sea where China has carried ...

China’s island-building campaign in the South China Sea has been happening at breakneck speed. At Fiery Cross Reef, the construction of a 10,000 foot runway capable of supporting fighters and ...

A satellite image of what is claimed to be an under-construction airstrip at Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea.Getty Images Recent satellite images published ...

China’s state backed Xinhua News has posted pictures of aircraft operating from the country’s reclaimed island outpost at Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea. The move, albeit seemingly an ...

China drew further condemnation today after landing two civilian planes on an artificial island in the disputed South China Sea. The test flights touched down yesterday on the Fiery Cross Reef in ...

Key point: Other countries have worked to project power to contested South China Sea features; with the airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef, China has worked to project power from them.