China’s Major Telecoms All Provide Service to Disputed Paracel Islands

Image via Wikipedia

China loves islands. In fact, China loves islands so much that it’s involved in disputes over them with a whole bunch of other countries at any given time. One of those disputed island chains is the Paracel Islands, a small island chain that has been administered by China since a 1974 battle in which scores of Chinese and Vietnamese sailors were killed before Vietnamese ships finally withdrew, fleeing Chinese naval reinforcements. China has controlled the islands ever since, but they are still claimed by both Vietnam and the Republic of Taiwan. (The battle was also dramatized in China with the popular 1976 film, Storm in the South Sea).

Aside from scattered military garrisons, it seems the islands are uninhabited, but according to a Shenzhen newspaper, China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom all offer service there. In fact, China Mobile has recently unveiled 3G service on six of the islands in the chain. (The Sina Tech article does make vague reference to civilians living on the island, but the 2012 CIA World Factbook lists the islands as uninhabited aside from Chinese military personnel).

Whoever lives there, the telecom presence is probably quite welcomed, as the islands are tiny and don’t exactly offer all the comforts of home. Woody island, the most developed, features an airport, a post office, a hostel, a bank, and three roads. The others don’t even have that much, but thanks to Chinese telecoms, that’s not going to stop Chinese soldiers stationed there from posting to Weibo anymore.

Of course, the telecom services available on the Paracel islands won’t be much consolation to Vietnam or Taiwan. But realistically, China has a much bigger military than either of them, and the presence of all major telecoms there is proof enough it’s placing increased importance on the islands, which are surrounded by potential oil and gas reserves.

[via Sina Tech]