China has opened its southernmost cinema on a disputed island in the South China Sea, state media said, part of an ongoing effort to build up civilian infrastructure and assert Beijing’s sovereignty. The cinema is on Woody Island in the Paracels, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, and is equipped with the most advanced projection equipment, state news agency Xinhua said on Sunday. “The opening of the cinema is part of a plan by local cultural authorities to establish community services on islands under Sansha’s jurisdiction,” Xinhua said.

South China Sea cinema opens. (2017, July 26). Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 4.