Except for a few transient fishermen living in wooden huts, the tranquil shores of Woody Island were for decades largely devoid of inhabitants or civilian facilities. Then, in 2012, it all changed for the biggest island of the disputed Paracels in the South China Sea. That year, China – which controls the archipelago – established the Sansha city government, giving it the authority to “govern” the South China Sea islands and surrounding waters. Soon after, it added a library, a school, a hospital and even a satellite TV station, in an area half the size of Sentosa. Cafes and supermarkets line its main thoroughfare, Beijing Road.
The Chinese call the island Yongxing, or “eternal prosperity”, and it now has more than 1,000 residents, as China moves to solidify its claims in this and other disputed areas of the South China Sea. Such rapid developments have shone a spotlight on Hainan, the country’s southern-most province, whose geopolitical importance has risen in tandem with the tensions in the region. Hainan not only administers Sansha, but is also home to Yulin Naval Base and its submarine bunker, located mere kilometres away from crowded tourist beaches of seaside resort Sanya.
Such oddities have led some to dub Hainan – roughly the size of Taiwan – as having “a curious blend of beaches, babes and naval bases”. But experts have no doubt about the island’s strategic significance. The province hosts China’s conventional and nuclear submarines, and is likely to host its aircraft carriers as well, she said. Hainan’s importance to China’s national security prompted the launch of the country’s first 24-hour anti-spying hotline in the province last year. According to Chinese media reports, the hotline aims to crack down on “foreign intelligence networks keen on knowing China’s military capabilities”.
The Chinese call the island Yongxing, or “eternal prosperity”, and it now has more than 1,000 residents, as China moves to solidify its claims in this and other disputed areas of the South China Sea. Such rapid developments have shone a spotlight on Hainan, the country’s southern-most province, whose geopolitical importance has risen in tandem with the tensions in the region. Hainan not only administers Sansha, but is also home to Yulin Naval Base and its submarine bunker, located mere kilometres away from crowded tourist beaches of seaside resort Sanya.
Such oddities have led some to dub Hainan – roughly the size of Taiwan – as having “a curious blend of beaches, babes and naval bases”. But experts have no doubt about the island’s strategic significance. The province hosts China’s conventional and nuclear submarines, and is likely to host its aircraft carriers as well, she said. Hainan’s importance to China’s national security prompted the launch of the country’s first 24-hour anti-spying hotline in the province last year. According to Chinese media reports, the hotline aims to crack down on “foreign intelligence networks keen on knowing China’s military capabilities”.
