China may be building an airport on a disputed island in the South China Sea that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, satellite images show.

China may be building an airport on a disputed island in the South China Sea that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, satellite images show.

According to an analysis by the Associated Press, images of Triton Island, one of the main islands of the Paracel Group, apparently show the construction of a gangway more than 600 meters long. The runway is long enough to accommodate drones, but not wide enough for fighter jets or bombers.

Despite the International Court of Justice finding Beijing’s arguments to lack legal basis, China claims almost the entire South China Sea.

Beijing has already claimed ownership of these waters by building and strengthening its structures on other islands and building military installations in the Spratly group to the east. It seems that what is happening on Triton Island is in its early stages.

The South China Sea, a strategically important waterway and one of the world’s busiest trade routes, is the subject of many disputes and is seen as a potentially major turning point.

Countries including Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei all have claims, while the United States considers the waters vital to its national interests and often exercises “freedom of navigation operations” in them.

Tensions over the South China Sea have risen in recent months, with one of the main claimants in the dispute, the Philippines, accusing Chinese vessels of dangerous and aggressive behavior, including spraying military-grade lasers at its coast guard boats.

In March, the Philippines expanded Washington’s influence in the region by expanding US access to its military bases, paving the way for unrestricted monitoring of Chinese activities in the South China Sea near Taiwan. The Philippines has also strengthened military ties with Japan and Australia, two US allies.