China's plan to build artificial island submitted to gov't - report

MANILA, Philippines — The proposed expansion of China's biggest installation in the Spratlys has been submitted to the Chinese central government, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported over the weekend.

Jin Canrong, international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, revealed this to SCMP, explaining that the planned artificial island on the disputed Fiery Cross Reef would be at least double the size of the US military base of Diego Garcia, a 44-square-kilometer coral atoll in the Indian Ocean.

The contested Fiery Cross Reef is known as Yongshu in China, Kagitingan in the Philippines and Da Chu Thap in Vietnam.

According to the SCMP report, the reef currently houses Chinese-built facilities including an observation post commissioned by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The report added that the expanded artificial island would include an airstrip and a sea port to boost the Asian giant's military strength in the disputed South China Sea.

The STAR has also reported that the construction of the proposed artificial island will cost$5 billion and would take 10 years to complete, similar to the construction of a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Read: Chinese military building artificial island

Philippine Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Charles Jose said it in a phone-patch interview aired on Mornings@ANC that the government will lodge a formal protest if the report on the proposed artificial island is true.

"If the report is true, very clearly... China intends to alter the status quo and change the character of the feature," Jose said.

Jose said last month that changing the physical nature of the maritime features in the disputed waters will affect the arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China.

The official earlier revealed that China's reclamation efforts on the disputed Mabini Reef may also turn the maritime feature into an island.

Last week, President Benigno Aquino III also said that Chinese ships that may be used for reclamation had been located in the Gavin Reef and Cuarteron Reef.

Read: Aquino: Chinese ships for reclamation spotted in 2 more reefs

Aquino had accused China of violating the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea which urges countries to refrain from inhabiting the unoccupied islands, reefs, shoals and other features in disputed waters.

The President said the Philippines will not follow China's steps. -Louis Bacani