China appears to be building an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island

BEIJING (AP) — Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show China is constructing an airstrip on a South China Sea island also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The work on Triton island in the Paracel group mirrors construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group to the east which have been equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems, although it currently appears to be somewhat more modest in scale. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, denying the claims of others and defying an international ruling invalidating its assertion. The U.S. takes no stance on the sovereignty claims, but regularly sends Navy ships on “freedom of navigation operations” near the Chinese-held islands.