Sample Intelligence Products & Examples

Since late 2025, China has conducted large-scale land reclamation and construction activity at Antelope Reef within the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. Sovereignty over the Paracels is claimed by Vietnam, China, and Taiwan, yet they have remained under Chinese authority since they were seized from Vietnam in 1974. Antelope Reef is in the western Crescent Group of the Paracels, located approximately 190 nautical miles east of Vietnam and 150 nautical miles southeast of Hainan Island, China.

China previously maintained a small outpost on a natural island within the reef; however, observations using Satellogic multispectral imagery from 4 November 2025 through 19 March 2026, revealed significant, ongoing land reclamation and construction progress. As of 19 March, over 1,000 acres of land area have been added. A 30-acre personnel and support area has been constructed, including a helipad. Multiple active construction sites and material staging areas were present around the reef, with small nearby jetties for landing equipment and supplies. A total of 22 cutter suction dredging vessels (the means of reshaping the reef into an artificial island) were active within the lagoon providing land fill onto the shore. Various other vessels, including self-propelled barges, floating cranes, a bunker vessel, and smaller craft were present throughout the reef area. Additionally, two newly observed heavy lift floating cranes were present offshore.

The expansion of Antelope Reef only adds to China’s existing outpost presence across 15 islands within the Paracels; however, this marks the first major land reclamation since the “Great Wall of Sand” projects of the mid-2010’s. Once complete, the assessed final land area of ~1,300 acres (5.3 km2) will dwarf the current largest Chinese outpost in the Paracels, Woody Island (800 acres/3.2 km2), which is located 50 nautical miles (93 km) to the northeast.