https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b...-sea-3tdd99vm7
Beijing sends fighter jets to disputed island chain in the South China Sea
Beijing has stationed eight warplanes on a strategic disputed island in the
South China Sea, escalating tensions over territorial claims.
Satellite images from July 15 showed at least four aircraft on Woody Island in the Paracels chain, believed to be J-11B air superiority fighters. More pictures the following day showed them in a different area of the island along with four other aircraft, thought to be JH-7 anti-ship fighter-bombers, according to Radio Free Asia, a broadcast service backed by the US government......
When asked about the deployment to Woody Island, Beijing insisted that it was within its rights to do so. “The Paracels are Chinese territory,” said Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesman.
Beijing has reclaimed land and militarised several islands in the Paracels and the Spratly chain, setting up two new regions this year to cement claims.......
