China Building World’s Largest Offshore Airport: Strategic Triumph or Costly Gamble?

An airfield, buildings, and structures are seen on the artificial island built by China in Mischief Reef in Spratly Islands, South China Sea, on Oct. 25, 2022. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

Commentary

China is constructing what could be the world’s largest man-made island airport, raising concerns in Japan and South Korea about its potential for military use. China watchers are questioning whether this project will be a groundbreaking success or a costly endeavor.