China is building an island in the South China Sea that could accommodate the country 's first airstrip in bitterly contested waters , according to satellite images analyzed by IHS Jane 's Defence Weekly . Reclamation at Fiery Cross Reef on the western edge of the disputed Spratly islands is creating a land mass that is more than 3,000 meters ( 2 miles ) long and between 200 to 300 meters ( 650 to 980 feet ) wide -- large enough to construct a runway and apron , the publication said . The South China Sea is the subject of numerous rival -- often messy -- territorial claims , with China , Brunei , Malaysia , the Philippines , Taiwan and Vietnam disputing sovereignty of several island chains and nearby waters . The areas in dispute include fertile fishing grounds and potentially rich reserves of undersea natural resources . Jane 's said that Malaysia , the Philippines and Taiwan had built airfields on reefs and islands in the contested waters . `` The work at Fiery Cross thus brings parity but is likely to cause alarm among the other claimants , '' the report said . `` Given its massive military advantage over the other claimants in terms of quantity and quality of materiel , this facility appears purpose-built to coerce other claimants into relinquishing their claims and possessions , or at least provide China with a much stronger negotiating position if talks over the dispute were ever held . '' The report said that dredgers were creating a harbor large enough to receive tankers and warships . Construction 'legitimate ' But Maj. General Luo Yuan of China 's People 's Liberation Army ( PLA ) told the state-run Global Times that construction was justifiable and that the infrastructure would improve the living standards of soldiers stationed there . `` The construction and maintenance of facilities and other activities we conducted on these islands are within our sovereign rights and they are legitimate , '' he added . At a briefing on Monday , Hua Chunying , China 's Foreign Ministry spokesperson , said that China has `` indisputable sovereignty '' over the islands in the South China Sea and said the construction would help in case of search and rescue efforts . China 's stance on maritime disputes has put it at odds with many of its smaller neighbors . Earlier this year , it moved an oil rig near the disputed Paracel Islands triggering anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam . Relations have also soured with the Philippines . On Monday , a Philippines court convicted nine Chinese fishermen of poaching hundreds of endangered giant sea turtles from a disputed shoal in the South China Sea . They were each fined nearly $ 103,000 but face no jail term . Diplomatic initiatives . The United States has supported efforts by regional group ASEAN to draw up a code of conduct to defuse maritime disputes , but China has said it prefers to deal with the issue bilaterally . On Friday , a Pentagon spokesman told Agence France-Presse ( AFP ) that the U.S. wanted China to stop its land reclamation program and engage in diplomatic initiatives . In a speech at the G20 summit earlier this month , President Barack Obama said the U.S. planned to deepen its diplomatic and military engagement in Asia and would work to ensure that big nations do n't `` bully the small . '' An editorial posted in the Global Times , said that Vietnam , the Philippines and the U.S. should `` get used '' to China 's island construction and its more frequent presence in the seas .
China 's Defence Review : China wants island in the South China Sea that can accommodate airstrip . Waters are bitterly contested by Vietnam , Philippines and other countries in the region . Report says land mass is more than 3,000 km long and a harbor is also being built . China says that construction is legitimate , will improve soldiers ' living standards .