China will start reclamation work at one of the contested islands in South China Sea later this year which will include the construction of an outpost and an airstrip to enable its air assets to extend their reach over the international waterway, Chinese maritime experts said.

The maritime experts, who have spoken with People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy officials, said  Beijing will expedite its work to construct a new outpost at the Philippine-claimed Scarborough Shoal, 230 km off the coast of the Philippines.

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Manila claims Scarborough Shoal but China said it took effective control of it in 2012, deploying patrol vessels in the area and driving away Filipino fishermen after a two-month standoff with the Philippine Navy.

Overlapping claims

Aside from China and the Philippines, Taiwan also has overlapping claims in the Scarborough Shoal.

"Beijing will take action to carry out land reclamation at Huangyan Island within this year," said the experts, referring to the shoal.

China's initiative to reclaim the shoal came on the heels of Washington's plans to restrain Beijing by establishing its military presence in the disputed waters.

Beijing's plans of building a new airtsrip and outpost in the Scarborough Shoal is one of its strategies to make its air presence felt across the disputed South China Sea region.

Military planes

Already, the PLA military planes can now land at the contested Woody Island with Beijing building more airstrips at the the Fiery Cross Reef and Mischief Reef, according to Chinese military sources.

"If China finishes land reclamation at Scarborough Shoal, it can install radar and other facilities for 24-hour monitoring of the US Basa air force base in Pampanga, a province in the Philippines," said the military experts.

Permanent Court of Arbitration

The upcoming ruling expected to be handed down by the Hague court in June would ratchet up the plans of Beijing to start the buildup immediately in the shoal.

The Philippines has filed territorial claims against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague which ruling is expected to go against Beijing.

The Philippines wants the court to rule that China's claims in the contested islands  must comply with international laws, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Following the recent US-Philippines war games in Manila last month, the two nations conducted joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea despite China's protest.

US Defense Chief Ash Carter, who was in the Philippines during the US-Philippine military exercises dubbed "Balikatan Exercise," said the two allies have agreed that US military troops will have full access to Philippine bases including two air bases in Pampanga, 330km off Scarborough Shoal. 

TagsScarborough Shoal, Permanent Court of Arbitration, unclos, Philippine military bases, PLA, Philippines, land reclamation, South China Sea