Chris Pocock has been covering the defense beat for AIN for over 30&nbsp;years. He is a British citizen and a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Chris worked in the air cargo business for ten years before becoming a full-time writer in 1983. He subsequently edited two air cargo journals before becoming AIN’s Defense Editor. He retired from that position in 2018, but still contributes to the publication. Chris has written extensively on aerial reconnaissance, including four books on the history of the U-2 spyplane. He also lectures on this and other topics related to intelligence-gathering in the Cold War.

Defense Correspondent

Chris Pocock

Coming soon to an island near here; more Chinese military installations—as seen in this view of Woody Island that was provided to AIN by Deimos Imaging, a provider of very high-resolution commercial satellite imagery. Woody Island is one of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, where Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are all disputing China’s territorial claims. Those claims also extend to the Spratly Islands, where China has built military-length airstrips and surface-to-air missile housings. In total, Beijing is claiming seas that carry a third of the world’s maritime traffic.

 


The U.S. has challenged this Chinese expansion, with "right of navigation" patrols around the South China Sea by warships and Boeing P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. Those assets sometimes operate from Singapore. But, ironically, the island republic tries to maintain excellent relations with the People’s Republic. Last week, Singapore’s junior defense minister gave a long speech on regional security to the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), without once mentioning the nearby maritime disputes.

China Builds Military Power In The South China Sea 

Four surrounding countries dispute Chinese sovereignty over a huge and important maritime area.

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2018 Singapore Airshow

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