To further project its power into the disputed South China Sea, China has decided to build an airfield on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys after its land reclamation program according to the state-run China NewsWeek.
The Chinese foreign ministry claims China has a right to conduct any activity in its own territory and the People's Liberation Army has stated that countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, rival claimants to the island group along with Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia, do not have any right to comment regarding the construction. The magazine stated that the land reclamation program on Fiery Cross Reef, which China calls Yongshu Reef, indicates that China is constructing a new airfield as a forward base for the PLA Navy and Air Force.
Taiwan intends to build its own fleet of warships and frigates equipped with the powerful Aegis Combat System over the next 15 years, reports Hong Kong-magazine Yazhou Zhoukan.
The fleet, which will be developed domestically, will include four 6,000-tonne Aegis-equipped warships and another 10-15 2,000-tonne Aegis-equipped guided missile frigates, the report said.
The project, which was initially abandoned back in 1995, has reportedly been reactivated due to lower costs and concerns over the the significant improvements made to the People's Liberation Army Navy, including the introduction of its own aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, as well as larger, heavier and more powerful vessels. As a result, the ROC Navy is said to be determined to be become more flexible and make strides in speed, technology, stealth capabilities, missile launch capabilities and reconnaisance speed.
