Subi Reef, Military base in Spratly Islands, China
Subi Reef is a coral formation in the South China Sea with a sheltered central lagoon area. The island now has ports, runways, and multiple buildings for administrative and monitoring purposes.
The reef formed naturally as a coral structure over decades. Between 2013 and 2015, major dredging and land reclamation projects transformed this natural formation into an artificial island.
Multiple nations, including the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam, maintain territorial claims over this section of the South China Sea.
The island is not open to visitors and serves exclusively military and administrative purposes. Information about the site is limited and available mainly through satellite imagery or official announcements.
The original coral reef remained fully submerged at high tide and was not recognized by international tribunals as a natural island. Only through artificial land reclamation did it become a permanently visible landmass.
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