Nansha airfields serve public good

China successfully carried out test flights of civilian aircraft to two new airfields on the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday.

Together with the one already constructed on Yongshu Reef, the two airfields, respectively located on Meiji Reef and Zhubi Reef, provide tangible benefits to vessels sailing in and planes flying over the area, thanks to their location in the middle of the vast water body.

More than 100,000 vessels from across the world - that is about 50 percent of the world's commercial shipping - sail through the South China Sea every year, yet the region lacks the necessary infrastructure to ensure safe passage.