Dustin Wang is a scholar and former government advisor who has regularly visited Itu Aba. He told Reuters news service he thinks the structures would be used for military purposes. “But I cannot tell if it is for defending, attacking or monitoring,” he said.

　　China claims much of the South China Sea, an important seaway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves each year. Taiwan and four ASEAN members - Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei – also have claims in the sea.

　　China’s activities in the South China Sea have increased tensions with its neighbors and the United States and Japan. China has reclaimed land on several disputed reefs through dredging, and built air fields and port facilities.

　　In July, an international court ruled against China in a case brought by the Philippines. The court rejected China's historical claims to large areas of the South China Sea.

　　Both China and Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province, rejected the ruling.

　　I’m Caty Weaver.

　　_______________________________________________________

　　Words in This Story

　　blur – v. to make an image unclear

　　installation – n. a military or industrial complex

　　chain – n. a series or group of things connected in some way

　　facility – n. something (such as a building or large piece of equipment) that is built for a specific purpose

　　reveal – v. to make (something) known

　　monitor – v. to watch, observe, listen to, or check (something) for a special purpose over a period of time

　　inconvenient – adj. not easy; causing trouble or problems

　　dredging – v. to dig out and clear material from a body of water