Cuarteron Reef
{{Short description|Reef in the South China Sea}}
{{Infobox islands
| disputed = yes
| name = Cuarteron Reef
| type = reef
| other_names =
華陽礁/华阳礁 Huáyáng Jiāo (Chinese)
Bahura ng Calderon (Filipino)
Calderon Reef (Philippine English)
Đá Châu Viên (Vietnamese)
Terumbu Kalderon (Malay)
| image_name = Cuarteron Reef, Spratly Islands.png
| image_caption = Cuarteron Reef
| pushpin_map = Spratly Islands relief
| image_map = {{China Hainan Sansha}}
| location = South China Sea
| coordinates = {{coord|8|51|50|N|112|49|40|E|source:zhwiki_scale:100000|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago = Spratly Islands
| country = {{CHN}}
| country_admin_divisions_title = Province
| country_admin_divisions = Hainan
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = City
| country_admin_divisions_1 = Sansha
| country1 = {{CHN}}
| country2 = {{PHL}}
| country3 = {{TWN}}
| country4 = {{VNM}}
}}
Cuarteron Reef, also known as Calderon Reef (Mandarin {{zh|t=|s=|p=Huáyáng Jiāo|c=華陽礁/华阳礁}}; {{langx|fil|Bahura ng Calderon}}; {{langx|vi|Đá Châu Viên}}; {{langx|ms|Terumbu Kalderon|lit=}}), is a reef at the east end of the London Reefs in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. It is occupied and controlled by China (PRC) (as part of Sansha), and also claimed by the Philippines (as part of Kalayaan), by Vietnam (as part of Truong Sa) and Taiwan (ROC). The reef is {{convert|3|nmi}} long and has an area of {{convert|8|sqkm}} ({{convert|800|ha}}).{{cite book|author1=D. J. Hancox|author2=John Robert Victor Prescott|title=A Geographical Description of the Spratly Islands and an Account of Hydrographic Surveys Amongst Those Islands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Qu9fi-luTYC&pg=PA14|year=1995|publisher=IBRU|isbn=978-1-897643-18-1|pages=14–}}
Geographical features
On 12 July 2016, the tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration concluded that Cuarteron Reef contains, within the meaning of Article 121(1) of the Convention, naturally formed areas of land, surrounded by water, which are above water at high tide. However, for purposes of Article 121(3) of the convention, the high-tide features at Cuarteron Reef is rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own and accordingly shall be entitled to 12nmi of territorial sea measured from its baseline but have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.{{cite web |title=Award |work=PCA Case No 2013-19 |date=12 July 2016 |publisher=Permanent Court of Arbitration |url=https://pca-cpa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/175/2016/07/PH-CN-20160712-Award.pdf |access-date=17 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129031833/https://pca-cpa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/175/2016/07/PH-CN-20160712-Award.pdf |archive-date=29 January 2019 |url-status=dead }} p.259
Chinese construction projects
Prior to 2016, Carteron reef had a supply platform and a reef fortress. In 2015 the Philippine government released what it claimed were photos of a six-story facility being built by the Chinese government on the reef.{{cite web|title=China expands construction work on reefs in dispute with the Philippines|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/china/AJ201503190079|website=The Asahi Shimbun|accessdate=23 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191350/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/china/AJ201503190079|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}} Also in 2015, China completed the construction of a {{convert|50|metre}} high{{cite web|last1=Lin|first1=Ting-Hui|title=China’s Lighthouses in the Spratlys|url=https://thediplomat.com/2015/10/chinas-lighthouses-in-the-spratlys/|website=The Diplomat|accessdate=23 February 2016}} lighthouse on the reef.{{cite web|title=South China Sea: China completes construction of lighthouses on artificial island on Cuarteron Reef|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-10/china-completes-construction-of-lighthouses-in-south-china-sea/6843962|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=22 February 2016}}{{cite web|title=China ups the ante with lighthouses in S China Sea|url=http://www.todayonline.com/world/china-ups-ante-lighthouses-s-china-sea|website=Today|accessdate=23 February 2016}} By late 2015, China had expanded the reef's usable area to {{convert|23|ha}},{{cite web |url=http://amti.csis.org/cuarteron-reef-tracker/ |title=Cuarteron reef tracker |publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies |accessdate=2016-03-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124645/http://amti.csis.org/cuarteron-reef-tracker/ |archivedate=2016-03-04}} reportedly including in the process two helicopter pads, and possibly gun, radar and missile emplacements.{{cite web|last1=Page|first1=Jeremy|last2=Lubold|first2=Gordon|title=U.S. Bomber Flies Over Waters Claimed by China|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-jet-flies-over-waters-claimed-by-china-1450466358|website=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=23 February 2016}} As of 2016, China was reportedly building a high-power radar installation on the reef.{{cite web|last1=Denyer|first1=Simon|title=Satellite images show China may be building powerful radar on disputed islands|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/02/22/satellite-images-show-china-may-be-building-powerful-radar-on-disputed-islands/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_wv-satellite-1247pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory|website=The Washington Post|accessdate=22 February 2016|date=22 February 2016}}
In late 2016, photographs emerged which suggested that Cuarteron Reef has been armed with anti-aircraft weapons and a CIWS missile-defence system.{{cite web|url=https://amti.csis.org/chinas-new-spratly-island-defenses/|title=China’s New Spratly Island Defenses|publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies|date=2016-12-13|accessdate=2016-12-17}}{{cite web |url=http://amti.csis.org/cuarteron-reef/ |title=Cuarteron reef |publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies |accessdate=2018-05-14 |date= October 2017}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Cuarteron Reef}}
- [https://amti.csis.org/cuarteron-reef/ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker]
{{Spratly Islands topics}}
{{South China Sea}}
Category:Reefs of the Spratly Islands
Category:Artificial islands of Asia
{{Asia-geo-stub}}