In early December, a flotilla of two dozen Chinese fishing boats and escort warships sailed to here the disputed Filipino-occupied reef of Thitu. By the end of the month, Beijing had almost 100 vessels in and around the archipelago, sparking an initially largely hidden confrontation that could yet spark outright war. When China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy turns 70 in October, the celebrations will centre here its largest, highest profile warships – particularly its pair of aircraft carriers, set to be the first of many. High-tech sabre-rattling is clearly at the heart of Beijing’s strategy to dominate its immediate neighbourhood, with jets and warships particularly aggressive around Taiwan’s borders in the last six months.

Apps, P. (2019, April 15). China goes unconventional in escalating South China Sea face-off. Daily Guardian, p. 5.