Great wall of sand
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The "great wall of sand" is the common name given to a series of land reclamation projects undertaken by the Chinese government since 2014 in the South China Sea – particularly the Paracel Island and Spratly island groups – in order to strengthen Chinese territorial claims to the region demarcated by the "nine-dash line".[1][2][3][4] They are created by dredging sand onto coral reefs to create artificial islands which are then concreted to make permanent structures. By the 2015 Shangri-La Dialogue over 8.1 square kilometres (810 ha) of new land has been created.[5] By June 2015, the land reclamation had reached 13.5 km2 and appeared complete.[6]
China states that the construction is for "improving the working and living conditions of people stationed on these islands"[7] and that, "China is aiming to provide shelter, aid in navigation, weather forecasts and fishery assistance to ships of various countries passing through the sea."[8] Defence analysts IHS Janes states that it is a "methodical, well planned campaign to create a chain of air and sea-capable fortresses".[9] These "military-ready" installations include sea-walls and deep-water ports, barracks, and notably including runways on Fiery Cross Reef[10][11] and Johnson South Reef.[1] Aside from geo-political tensions, concerns have been raised about the environmental impact on fragile reef ecosystems through the destruction of habitat, pollution and interruption of migration routes.[12]
There is no known official term for the projects; the phrase "great wall of sand" was first used by Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, in March 2015.[13]
Other countries in the region are also undertaking, on a far smaller scale, similar operations.[14] As of 2015, the Pentagon estimates for the amount of reclaimed land by area per country is as follows: China (2,900 acres), Vietnam (80 acres), Malaysia (70 acres), the Philippines (14 acres) and Taiwan (8 acres).[15] The main difference between these activities and China's is that they modified existing land masses, while Beijing is constructing islands out of reefs that for the most part were under water at high tide.
Reclamation activities
The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative's "Island tracker" lists the following locations as sites of island reclamation activities:[16]
| English name | Chinese name[^] | Filipino name | Vietnamese name | Facilities added | Reclaimed area | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuarteron Reef | Huáyáng Dǎo (华阳島) | Calderon Reef | Đá Châu Viên | Access channel, Breakwaters, Multiple support buildings, New helipad, Possible radar facility | 0.231 km2 | |
| Fiery Cross Reef | Yǒngshǔ Dǎo (永暑島) | Kagitingan Reef | Đá Chữ Thập | Airstrip, Harbor, Multiple cement plants, Multiple support buildings, Piers | 2.74 km2 | |
| Gaven Reef | Nánxūn Dǎo (南薰島) | Burgos Reefs | Đá Ga Ven | Access channel, Anti-air guns, Communications equipment, Construction support structure, Defensive tower, Naval guns | 0.136 km2 | |
| Hughes Reef | Dōngmén Dǎo (东门島) | — | Đá Tư Nghĩa | Access channel, Coastal fortifications, Four Defensive Towers, Harbor, Multi-level military facility | 0.76 km2 | |
| Johnson South Reef | Chìguā Dǎo (赤瓜島) | Mabini Reef | Đá Gạc Ma | Access channel, Concrete plant, Defensive Towers, Desalination pumps, Fuel dump, Multi-level military facility, Possible radar facility | 0.109 km2 | |
| Mischief Reef | Měijì Dǎo (美济島) | Panganiban Reef | Đá Vành Khăn | Access channel, Fortified Seawalls | 5.58 km2 | |
| Subi Reef | Zhǔbì Dǎo (渚碧島) | Zamora Reef | Đá Xu Bi | Access channel, Piers, Airstrip | 3.95 km2 |
^ The current official Chinese names use Dǎo (島) meaning "island". Previously this was Jiāo (礁) meaning "reef".
| Audio | |
|---|---|
 What’s behind Beijing’s drive to control the South China Sea? (text) by Howard W. French in The Guardian, July 2015 | |
| Video | |
 Is China building on disputed Spratly Islands reefs? BBC News | |
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Confronting China: US Navy Flies Over Disputed Islands in South China Sea AiirSource Military Videos |
Reactions
- China – Following confrontations between US P8-A Poseidon aircraft and the Chinese Navy over the constructions in May 2015,[17] China stated that it has "...the right to engage in monitoring in the relevant air space and waters to protect the country's sovereignty and prevent accidents at sea."[18]
-
USA – The construction is considered to be a key motivating factor behind the Obama administration's "Asia Pivot" military strategy.[19] It believes "...that China’s activities in the South China Sea are driven by nationalism, part of a wider strategy aimed at undercutting US influence in Asia."[5] It has declared that it would operate military aircraft in the region "'...in accordance with international law in disputed areas of the South China Sea' and would continue to do so 'consistent with the rights freedoms and lawful uses of the sea.'"[18]
- In October 2015, the United States sent the USS Lassen through the area, close to man-made land built upon Subi Reef to test freedom of navigation through international waters.[20]
-
Australia – Opposed to "any coercive or unilateral actions to change the status quo in the South and East China Sea",[21] Australia continues to fly routine surveillance operations and exercise the right to freedom of navigation in international airspace "in accordance with the international civil aviation convention, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."[22] 
South Korea – No official stance, maintains an "...increasingly notable silence on freedom of navigation in the South China Sea".[23][24]- ASEAN – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations stated that the constructions "may undermine peace, security and stability" in the region as well as having strongly negative impact on the marine environment and fishery stocks.[25]
- G7 – In a "Declaration on maritime security" before the 41st G7 summit, the G7 stated that, "We continue to observe the situation in the East and South China Seas and are concerned by any unilateral actions, such as large scale land reclamation, which change the status quo and increase tensions. We strongly oppose any attempt to assert territorial or maritime claims through the use of intimidation, coercion or force.[26]
Tools
China used hundreds of dredges and barges including a giant self-propelled dredger, the Tian Jing Hao. Built in 2009 in China, the vessel, Tian Jing Hao, is a 127 m-long seagoing cutter suction dredger designed by German engineering company Vosta LMG. At 6,017 gross tonnes, with a dredging capacity of 4500m3/h, it is credited as being the largest of its type in Asia. It has been operating on Cuarteron Reef, the Gaven Reefs, and at Fiery Cross Reef.[27]
Ecological hazards
Aside from geo-political tensions, concerns have been raised about the environmental impact on fragile reef ecosystems through the destruction of habitat, pollution and interruption of migration routes.[12] These new islands are built on reefs previously 1m below the level of the sea. For back-filling these 7 artificial islands, a total area of 13.5 million m2, to the height of few meters, China had to destroy surrounding reefs and pumping 40 or 50 million m3 of sand and corals, resulting in significant and irreversible damage to the environment. Frank Muller-Karger, professor of biological oceanography at the University of South Florida, said sediment “can wash back into the sea, forming plumes that can smother marine life and could be laced with heavy metals, oil and other chemicals from the ships and shore facilities being built.” Such plumes threaten the biologically diverse reefs throughout the Spratlys, which Dr. Muller-Karger said may have trouble surviving in sediment-laden water.[28]
International Court of Justice
Three of these reefs, Johnson South Reef (Mabini Reef), Hughes Reef, and Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) are within 200 nautical miles from Palawan and clearly situated in the EEZ claimed by the Phillipinnes. Aside that these artificial islands were built without the agreement of the Philippines, it should be noticed that sand to build them was dredged from the seabed of the Phillipinnes EEZ illegally.
A ruling from the International Court of Justice in the Hague on a claim by the Philippines to sovereignty over reefs also claimed by China is expected in June 2016.[29]
References
- 1 2 Wingfield-Hayes, Rupert (9 September 2014). "China's Island Factory". BBC. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
- ↑ "US Navy: Beijing creating a 'great wall of sand' in South China Sea". The Guardian. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ↑ "China building a ‘great wall of sand’ in South China Sea– US Navy". RT. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ↑ Marcus, Jonathan (29 May 2015). "US-China tensions rise over Beijing's 'Great Wall of Sand'". BBC. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- 1 2 Brown, James (6 June 2015). "China building islands, not bridges". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative | Island Tracker". Retrieved 2015-07-03.
- ↑ "China building 'great wall of sand' in South China Sea - BBC News". BBC. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ↑ "China Voice: Drop fearmongering over South China Sea - Xinhua | English.news.cn". news.xinhuanet.com. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ↑ "South China Sea dispute: What you need to know". Sydney Morning Herald. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
- ↑ Hardy, James; O'Connor, Sean (16 April 2015). "China's first runway in Spratlys under construction". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ↑ "China 'building runway in disputed South China Sea island' - BBC News". Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- 1 2 Batongbacal, Jay (7 May 2015). "Environmental Aggression in the South China Sea". Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
- ↑ "Speech delivered to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute" (PDF). Commander, US Pacific Fleet. U.S. Navy. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
- ↑ Sand cay tracker. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and The Center for Strategic and International Studies
- ↑ Lubold, Gordon (20 August 2015). "Pentagon Says China Has Stepped Up Land Reclamation in South China Sea". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ↑ "Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative | Island Tracker". Retrieved 2015-05-28.
- ↑ Sciutto, Jim (21 May 2015). "Exclusive: China warns U.S. surveillance plane". CNN. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- 1 2 "South China Sea: China's navy told US spy plane flying over islands to leave 'eight times', CNN reports". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2015-05-22. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- ↑ Callick, Rowan (22 May 2015). "US push-back in Asia gains momentum to reassure partners". The Australian. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ↑ David Wroe and Philip Wen (31 October 2015). "South China Sea: Whose neighbourhood is it, anyway?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
- ↑ Wroe, David; Wen, Philip (1 June 2015). "South China Sea dispute: Strong indication Australia will join push back on China's island-building". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ↑ Wroe, David; Wen, Phillip (15 December 2015). "South China Sea: Australia steps up air patrols in defiance of Beijing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- ↑ Kelly, Robert (7 July 2015). "South China Sea: Why Korea is silent, and why that's a good thing". The Interpreter. Lowy Institute for International Policy. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ↑ Jackson, Van (24 June 2015). "The South China Sea Needs South Korea". The Diplomat. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ↑ Schofield, Clive (14 May 2015). "Why the world is wary of China's 'great wall of sand' - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ↑ "G7 Foreign Ministers' Declaration on Maritime Security". G8 Information Center. University of Toronto. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "China goes all out with major island building project in Spratlys".
- ↑ Derek Watkins, « What China Has Been Building in the South China Sea », The New York Times, 27 october 2015
- ↑ Hartcher, Peter (26 April 2016). "South China Sea: The fight China will take to the brink of war". The Sydney Morning Herald.
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