Satellite images show a Chinese-made airstrip on the disputed island of Triton

The island in the South China Sea is claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

China will build an airstrip on a disputed island in the South China Sea, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to the Associated Press, which cited satellite imagery.

Businesses on Triton Island, in the Paracels Archipelago, repeat business on seven artificial islands, to the east in the Spratly Archipelago, which were equipped with airstrips, docks, and military systems.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, denying the claims of the other parties and defying international court rulings that invalidate its claim.

China took full control of the Paracels in 1974 after a maritime dispute with Vietnam.

China maintains disputes with several neighboring countries over sovereignty over islands and atolls in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely for “historic reasons”, despite protests from neighboring countries.

These waters form a strategic area through which a third of world trade flows and where important fishing and energy resources are located.