China appears to have started building the foundation for a third airstrip in the hotly-contested South China Sea, according to a report Tuesday from Reuters.
The airstrip’s construction, according to the report, appears to have started on Mischief Reef, one of seven artificial islands that China has built.
The chain of islands, both natural and artificial are known as the Spratly Archipelago or Spratly Group. According to the World Wildlife Fund the predominant structure in the small island chain is roughly 600 coral reefs that provide sanctuaries to a wide array of species, some of which are endangered.