China completes first phase of man-made island on Antelope Reef in South China Sea
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China completes the first phase of construction on Antelope Reef in the Paracels archipelago, building a man-made island in the disputed South China Sea, satellite images reviewed by Reuters show. The reclaimed island is nearly 6 km long and includes a 680-metre wharf fronting a deep-water harbour. China's defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment, while state media have said Antelope will serve civilian needs such as weather forecasting and scientific research.
Key Facts
- China completed the first phase of construction on Antelope Reef, building a man-made island in the Paracels archipelago.
- Satellite images from Vantor dated July 19, 2026 show a reclaimed island nearly 6 km long, with a straight coastline longer than 3 km that some analysts see as a potential runway.
- A wharf stretching 680 metres fronts a deep-water harbour, and one Vantor image shows a Chinese coast guard ship alongside.
- The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said this week that first excavation work for a new runway appeared to have started.
- Open source intelligence tracker Damien Symon said he spotted initial signs of work at the reef last December and first highlighted dredging on X in early January.
Construction Completion
China completes the first phase of construction on Antelope Reef in the Paracels archipelago, building a man-made island in the hotly-disputed South China Sea. Satellite images reviewed by Reuters show the reclaimed feature in outline for the first time, with barges and dredgers having left after at least six months of work in the busy waterway. Construction of buildings has started in the southeast corner of the island, including a helicopter pad, in the July 19 images taken by Vantor, a commercial provider of satellite images.
Island Dimensions and Facilities
The images show a reclaimed island nearly 6 km (4 miles) long, with a straight line of coast longer than 3 km (2 miles) that some analysts see as a potential runway. A wharf stretching 680 m (740 yards) fronts a deep water harbour, with one Vantor image showing a coast guard ship alongside. In a study this week, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said the first excavation work for a new runway appeared to have already started. Open source intelligence tracker Damien Symon, who first highlighted dredging at the reef on X in early January, said he spotted initial signs of work last December.
Official Response and Strategic Assessments
China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. China has yet to acknowledge construction of a new military base, while state media have said Antelope will serve civilian needs such as weather forecasting and scientific research. Ben Lewis, founder of the open-source data platform PLATracker, said the northern part of the South China Sea would be particularly important in a Taiwan conflict scenario. Lewis described the 6-km-long Antelope Reef as one of the Chinese military's most important features in the South China Sea, larger than neighbouring Woody Island and easier to defend than a network of bases further south in the Spratlys archipelago.
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China completes first phase of man-made island on Antelope Reef in South China Sea
