China's Land Reclamation Projects and Disputes Over Maritime Territory

Since September 2013, China has undertaken extensive reclamation and construction on several reefs in the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea, raising a variety of concerns in the United States and Asia. The reclamation has created over 2,000 acres of artificial landmasses on Chinese-occupied reefs that are disputed between several countries and are located in some of the world's most heavily trafficked waters. China announced on June 16, 2015 that its reclamation work would be completed "e;in the upcoming days,"e; and that when reclamation was finished, it would turn to building facilities on the newly created artificial islands. This book assesses legal, military/operational, and diplomatic implications of the reclamation and construction activity. It surveys U.S. and Chinese statements on the situation, provides a history of reclamation activity by other nations including the United States and other South China Sea claimants, and discusses U.S. strategy and potential options for U.S. policymakers.