Mischief Reef

Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing

Meiji Jiao (美 济 礁), also Mischief Reef is an atoll of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is under the control of the People's Republic of China ( Sansha City, Hainan Province) and is also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam.

History

The atoll consists of some rocks that protrude slightly out of the water, but were expanded. In February 1995, the People's Republic of China has some wooden huts built as shelters for fishermen on the reef in order to substantiate their claims of ownership. Followed in 1999, an official protest from the Philippines against this approach. The Government of the Philippines suspected that the wooden huts represent a military base, because they are close to the island of Palawan (about 210 km). In addition, the Philippines levy their own property claims to the oil-rich, which are stored under the islands to secure. Despite the agreement, a status quo on the island with the Philippines since 2000, in the military expansion of the island support point by the PRC, including the construction of bunkers. Since 2007, an economically important fish and shrimp farming is operated and since 2011, there are 13 multi-storey buildings with a permanent stationing of 50 Chinese Navy soldiers. On December 5, 2012 53 fishermen were settled as a permanent civilian population and the " Meiji village " (美 济 村) founded almost another hundred houses as accommodation for civilians under construction. The village is under the Meiji greater community Yongshu Jiao. China Mobile has connected to the Chinese mobile phone network Meiji Jiao and the surrounding sea area.