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Satellite photos from May 7, 2020 and February 4, 2021 in the area marked Location No. 1 show that a new structure has appeared in the Vanh Khan rock that is currently illegally occupied by China Simularity
Newspaper Philippine daily inquirer from the Philippines on February 17, showing satellite images, China continues its illegal construction activities on the Vanh Vai rock in Vietnam’s Spratly archipelago.
Specifically, the satellite image released by the American technology company Simularity on February 16 shows new developments in the Vanh Vai rock from 2020 to early 2021 in the context of many countries battling the COVID-19 epidemic.
Simularity Company has identified significant changes at 7 Vanh Vai rock locations. “The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has not caused China to halt operations in the South China Sea in 2020” – Philippine daily inquirer commentary.
For example, the photo of the area marked “Location 1” shows that this location is still vacant as of May 7, 2020. But on February 4, 2021, satellite images showed here “a fixed cylindrical structure with a diameter of 16 meters “.
Construction on this structure is believed to have started in December 2020 and appears to be an antenna structure.
The satellite image of “Position 2” below shows a new large dome structure and a fixed radar structure, which did not appear there a year ago.
Satellite photo at location 2 on Vanh Vai rock on May 7, 2020 and February 4, 2021 – Photo: Simularity
The areas marked “Location 4” and “Location 7” were cleared as of February 4, 2021. A year earlier, rectangular structures appeared in these areas. Satellite images also show potential new construction activities at “Site 5” and “Site 6”.
Commenting on Facebook, Philippine maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal said that the new radar installations appear to be in the process of being completed. Meanwhile, construction facilities and barracks have been relocated, and some areas may be under construction to build new structures.
The Vanh Vai rock is among 7 entities in the Spratly Islands (under the sovereignty of Vietnam) that are illegally occupied by China and illegally accumulated on artificial islands. China has defiantly built many buildings in these entities despite international condemnation.
