How Beijing may use South China Sea to create submarine haven

Beijing: For months, China’s visible construction of artificial islands and military facilities in the South China Sea has alarmed  US officials and many of China’s neighbours.

What is happening under the water is also worrisome,  several defence and security analysts say.

China has a growing fleet of nuclear submarines armed with ballistic missiles. The expansion of its claim on the South China Sea may be intended to create a deep-water sanctuary – known in military parlance as a “bastion” – where its submarine fleet could avoid detection.