Johnson South Reef
| Disputed island Other names: Chigua Reef Yongshu reef Gạc Ma Reef Mabini reef |
|
|---|---|
| 300px | |
| L to R: Collins Reef, Johnson South Reef and Landsdowne Reef. | |
| Geography | |
 |
|
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Administered by | |
| People's Republic of China | |
| Claimed by | |
| People's Republic of China | |
| Vietnam | |
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Johnson South Reef (Chinese: 赤瓜礁; pinyin: Chìguā Jiāo; Vietnamese: Đá Gạc Ma), also known as Chigua Reef, Yongshu reef, Gạc Ma Reef and Mabini reef[1] is a reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea controlled by the People's Republic of China (PRC), but whose ownership is disputed by the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
It is located in the southwest portion of Union Banks.
Contents
Location, topography and structures
Johnson South Reef lies adjacent to the Vietnamese-controlled Collins Reef (also known as Johnson North Reef) which lies 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) to the northwest. It is naturally above water only at low tide. It houses a number of small buildings, wharves and a fortified Chinese maritime observation station.[2]
Territorial disputes
Johnson South Reef is currently occupied by the People's Republic of China and claimed by Vietnam. It was the site of the Johnson South Reef Skirmish in 1988, fought by the PRC and Vietnam, which resulted in more than 70 Vietnamese deaths, two Vietnamese boats being sunk and the Chinese occupying the reef.
In order to prevent the reef from submersion caused by erosion,[citation needed] and to maintain the claim to the EEZ,[citation needed] the PRC government built an embankment building, and Johnson South Reef surrounded the building in the early 1990s.[3]
In July 2012, to further reinforce their claim, a Chinese fleet of 29 fishing vessels from Hainan protected by Yuzheng 310 (a fishery administration patrol ship) spent 20 days fishing in the region.[4]
In May 2014, the Philippines announced that one of its reconnaissance flights had observed PRC dredging and reclaiming up to 10 hectares of land at the reef.[5] China responded by saying this was a normal construction being done in their territory.[6] The Philippines asserted in September 2014 that this will be a future military airfield.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Johnson South Reef / Chigua Reef (中国南沙群島赤瓜礁図片]), www.nansha.org.cn
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Mogato, Manuel, "Philippines says China appears to be building airstrip on disputed reef", Reuters, 13 May 2014
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Photos of Yongshu (Johnson south) reef
- Our World Flashpoint: South China Sea, BBC, film documentary, July 2015.
- Google map of Johnson South Reef
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