Hughes Reef Explained

Disputed:yes
Hughes Reef
Type:reef
Other Names:
東門礁 / 东门礁 Dōngmén Jiāo (Chinese)
đá Tư Nghĩa (Vietnamese)
Pushpin Map:Spratly Islands relief
Location:South China Sea
Coordinates:9.9167°N 144°W
Archipelago:Spratly Islands
Country Admin Divisions Title:Province
Country Admin Divisions:Hainan
Country Admin Divisions Title 1:City
Country Admin Divisions 1:Sansha

Hughes Reef (Mandarin, Vietnamese: đá Tư Nghĩa) is a reef in Union Banks in the Spratly group of islands, South China Sea claimed by the PRC (China), the ROC (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It is only above water at low tide.[1]

The PRC has reclaimed land on the reef, bringing its area to 7.6 hectares, and occupied the reef.[2] The reef has a lighthouse[3] on top of a two storied defence outpost.[4]

Geographical features

On 12 July 2016, the tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration concluded that Hughes Reef is, or in its natural condition was, exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide and, accordingly, its low-tide elevations do not generate an entitlement to a territorial sea, exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.[5]

Military development

In late 2016, photographs emerged which suggested that Hughes Reef has been armed with anti-aircraft weapons and a CIWS missile-defence system.[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Digital Gazetteer of the Spratly Islands . 19 August 2011 . 6 June 2014 . www.southchinasea.org .
  2. Web site: Hughes reef tracker. Center for Strategic and International Studies. 2016-03-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112809/http://amti.csis.org/hughes-reef-tracker/. 2016-03-04. dead.
  3. 15 November 2013. 19 May 2014.
  4. Web site: Photo : Hughes reef outpost and lighthouse . Panoromio . 19 May 2014 . 24 May 2009.
  5. Web site: Award . 12 July 2016 . Permanent Court of Arbitration . 17 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190129031833/https://pca-cpa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/175/2016/07/PH-CN-20160712-Award.pdf . 29 January 2019 . dead . p.174
  6. Web site: China’s New Spratly Island Defenses. Center for Strategic and International Studies. 2016-12-13. 2016-12-17.