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Forget MARS – China Is Building A “Space Station” … Under South China Sea



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Jun 08 2016
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China is not giving up South China Sea, or at least 90% of the waters, islands or rocks it’s claiming. If that statement isn’t clear enough, here’s Beijing policy – China will NEVER give up South China Sea. If United States still don’t get it, here’s China message over the weekend – China was not afraid of “trouble” over its territorial disputes with neighbours in the South China Sea.

 

In fact, China plans to establish an outpost on Panatag Shoal, internationally known as Scarborough Shoal, located 230 kilometers  off the coast of Zambales province in the Philippines. It’s the same triangle-shaped chain of reefs and rocks with a perimeter of 46 km which China took control in 2012 after shooing away Filipino fishermen, and stationed Chinese patrol vessels instead.

Panatag Shoal - Scarborough Shoal - Island Info

Panatag Shoal - Scarborough Shoal - Map South China Sea

Pentagon has been bitching and complaining about Chinese jet fighters conducting “unsafe” intercept of US spy plane in international air space over the South China Sea. It appears Beijing refuses to be intimidated by Washington, whom is accused of deliberately provoking China for a war. But that is not what U.S. or Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam should worry for now.

 

What the neighbours and the policeman U.S. should worry about is that the more they pressure China into giving up its claim on South China Sea, the quicker China is in building its infrastructure. We’re not talking about China constructing artificial islands anymore. We’re talking about a gigantic “Space Station”, beneath South China Sea.

Underwater Space Station - Illustration

Underwater Space Station - Outer Layer - Illustration

Thanks to constant U.S. harassment, China is now speeding up efforts to design and build such an oceanic space station which would be located as much as 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) below the surface of South China Sea. The project was part of the country’s 5-year economic plan revealed in March, which runs through 2020.

 

The plan also includes building up to 20 floating nuclear power stations to leapfrog China becoming a “maritime power”. These floating atomic power stations would be placed at artificial islands built by the Chinese in disputed waters of the South China Sea. Such stations would power radar facilities, airstrips, barracks or sophisticated weapon systems.

China Floating Nuclear Station - The Ship
The space station is being marketed by the Chinese as a manned deep-sea platform to help it hunt for minerals in the South China Sea. But such station can easily be modified to serve a military purpose to compliment 7 artificial islands in the Sea currently under construction – either as defensive or offensive purpose.

 

Besides carrying US$5.3 trillion of global trade a year, the deep sea contains treasures that remain undiscovered and undeveloped. While the U.S. Energy Information Administration says the area has proved and probable reserves of about 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, China’s estimate is more than that – 125 billion barrels of oil and 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Underwater Military Base

For now, details about the deep-sea station is very limited and sketchy due to obvious reason. China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation is the main contractor responsible to design, plan and build the toy. What can be revealed is the station would be able to host dozens of crew members for up to a month underwater.

 

The project is vital to China’s ambition to become a technology superpower by 2030 and to close deep sea exploration gap with U.S., Russia, Japan and France on underwater technology. Because such huge station is not stealthy, it could be just a small piece of puzzles of what China military has in mind.

China Reef Defence System - Underwater Great Wall Project

Earlier, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation has proposed the construction of a network of ship and subsurface sensors that could significantly erode the undersea warfare advantage held by U.S. and Russian submarines – the “Underwater Great Wall Project”. Revealed late last year, Beijing hopes the project can contribute to future Chinese ability to control the South China Sea.

 

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