Strategic assessment of the expansion of Chinese forward aviation infrastructure, the emergence of an interconnected South China Sea operating network, and the implications for surveillance, military persistence, maritime access and regional strategic stability. Scope: This assessment examines developments verified or reported through 26 October 2026, concentrating on Antelope Reef, Hainan Island, the Paracel and Spratly … Leggi tutto China’s Fifth South China Sea Airfield: Antelope Reef and the Transformation of Indo-Pacific Air and Maritime Power