China appears to be building radar installations on contested reefs in the southern part of the South China Sea, according to satellite images released by a US think-tank, in a move that could significantly boost Beijing’s surveillance capabilities.
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies late on Monday published photographs that it said showed the development of high-frequency radar towers on Cuarteron Reef and several other Chinese-controlled features in the Spratly Islands.
It said that while Beijing’s recent construction of airstrips and deployment of anti-aircraft missiles in the South China Sea had caused concern, the apparent radar installations “will prove equally important to Beijing’s long-term strategy” because they “could significantly change the operational landscape in the South China Sea”.