Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Island Issues

China: Artificial Islands Pose Grave Threat to Environment – Reefs & Fish at Risk

Fiery Cross Reef, Spratly Islands - Photo Courtesy of www.janes.com

Beijing has announced that work on its man-made islands in the South China Sea is almost finished, heightening tensions with neighbouring countries and posing a serious threat to the environment.

Beijing has announce that it has moved another step closer to completing its controversial artificial island project in the disputed Spratly Islands The …Read More: China: Artificial Islands Pose Grave Threat to Environment – Reefs & Fish at Risk

Island Market

China: Government Releases Twenty New Private Islands to Investors

Authorities in Fujian Province have this week identified twenty uninhabited islands which will be made available to global tourism investors on a leasehold basis.

(Image Courtesy of Our China Daily)

Looking to cash in on China’s increasing interest in private islands, the government of Fujian Province has this week singled out …Read More: China: Government Releases Twenty New Private Islands to Investors

Governments buying Islands

China: Private Island Plans Enter Trial Phase in Guangdong Province

Map of Guangdong - Courtesy of www.itourbeijing.com

Authorities in Guangdong Province have this week announced plans to trial the use of two private islands along the South China Sea coast.

Map of Guangdong – Courtesy of www.itourbeijing.com

China’s interest in private islands continues to grow with local media reports suggesting that two uninhabited islands off the coast of …Read More: China: Private Island Plans Enter Trial Phase in Guangdong Province

Development

Seychelles: Private Island Developers Court Chinese Investors

Eden Island - Photo Courtesy of www.scmp.com

A prominent Seychelles developer turns to private islands to entice property investors from Hong Kong and China to the famous Indian Ocean archipelago.

Eden Island – Photo Courtesy of www.scmp.com

A Seychellois developer has turned his attention to the lucrative Chinese and Hong Kong markets on the search for potential investors …Read More: Seychelles: Private Island Developers Court Chinese Investors

Island Issues

Asia: China Stakes its Claim by Opening Disputed Islands to Tourism

Small disputed islands in Asia-Pacific are being promoted as exciting new tourism destinations, solidifying China’s growing influence over the region.

(Disputed Yongxing Island in the Paracels)

In past centuries, countries seeking to establish dominion over a territory had to build and maintain a costly military …Read More: Asia: China Stakes its Claim by Opening Disputed Islands to Tourism

Development

South Pacific: Is the Tiny Island of Yap Ready for a Huge Casino Resort?

A Chinese developer has an ambitious vision for the small and remote Yap, but many residents are wary about welcoming thousands of international tourists.

(The remote and beautiful island of Yap)

The miniscule island state of Yap, part of the Federated States of Micronesia, is not the first place that comes …Read More: South Pacific: Is the Tiny Island of Yap Ready for a Huge Casino Resort?

Environment

Chinese Marine Surveillance Forces Complete Patrol of Disputed Paracel Island Archipelago

Not famed for a great track record when it comes to environmental concerns, the People’s Republic of China embarked on an unlikely environmental mission earlier this week, in a plan to bolster the sensitive ecology of the disputed Paracel Islands.

Chinese Marine Surveillance (CMS) troops were deployed to the region in order to complete …Read More: Chinese Marine Surveillance Forces Complete Patrol of Disputed Paracel Island Archipelago

Development

Asia: China Debates Plans for Development of Uninhabited Islands

The province of Zhejiang is blessed with hundreds of beautiful islands, and officials are encouraging public debate about how to develop them.

(Uninhabited Islands near Zhoushan, Zhejiang)

In December, the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang held an unusual public meeting, with the focus …Read More: Asia: China Debates Plans for Development of Uninhabited Islands