MANILA, Philippines — Beijing can now deploy military assets to the Spratly (Kalayaan) Islands in the South China Sea as wraps up construction of infrastructures on the "Big Three"—Subi (Zamora), Mischief (Panganiban) and Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reefs. Another facility on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands would allow Chinese military aircraft to operate nearly the entire South China Sea. China now has constructed hardened shelters with retractable roofs for mobile missile launchers on Subi, Mischief and Fiery Cross Reefs. The arbitral tribunal ruled that Mischief and Subi Reefs are low-tide elevations while Fiery Cross Reef is a rock. The United Nations-backed tribunal also ruled that Mischief Reef is part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Source: Philippine Star March 28, 2017 03:00 UTC