evidence: Named by 16th century Portuguese mapmakers, the Paracels are a collection of 130 small coral islands and reefs in the northwestern part of the South China Sea. They support abundant marine life. But more than being just a rich fishing ground, there is speculation the islands could harbor potential energy reserves. [...] Since ousting the last Vietnamese troops from the Paracels in 1974, China has been steadily fortifying its claim to the islands putting military garrisons on them and building an airfield and artificial harbor on Woody Island. Earlier this summer, China deployed J-10 fighter jets to the island, a signal to the region that "it is their territory and they can put military aircraft there whenever they want," said Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center. [...] "The reality on the ground is that China has occupied the entire Paracel group for 40 years and, short of military action by Vietnam to recapture the archipelago, will never leave," CNA senior fellow Michael McDevitt wrote.