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Satellite Images Show China Completing Land Reclamation and New Infrastructure at Antelope Reef
New images from June show dredgers replaced by barges and new infrastructure appearing at the Paracel Islands atoll. South China Morning Post reported the findings from the Open Source Centre on July 13, 2026.
Jul 13, 5:00 AM·1m read1 source
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New satellite images indicate that China’s land reclamation at Antelope Reef is nearly finished, South China Morning Post reported. An image taken on June 22 showed dredgers in the lagoon replaced by cargo barges, according to the London-based Open Source Centre.
Four large blue cylindrical storage silos appeared at a concrete production plant in the northwest part of the reef in an image from June 24.
A long reinforced quay is in place in the southwestern corner of the lagoon. Damien Symon, a researcher with The Intel Lab, said the quay enhances waterfront infrastructure as the reclaimed feature develops into China’s largest artificial island in the South China Sea. China resumed island-building at the site around October 2025.
A March analysis by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative estimated 603 hectares of land had been reclaimed at the teardrop-shaped coral atoll, known as Lingyang Jiao in China and Da Hai Sam in Vietnam.
