Fiery Cross Reef

Named after the British tea clipper Fiery Cross, which was wrecked on the atoll on 4 March 1860.

Fiery Cross Reef

1. A reef and artificial island in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, administered as part of Sansha, Hainan, China, and claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
   • 1871, William Jones, “Submarine Scenery”, in The Broad, Broad Ocean and Some of Its Inhabitants‎^[1], London: Frederick Warne and Co., page 182:

     Dr. Collingwood, in his "Rambles of a Naturalist," describes a scene of marvellous submarine beauty in the China seas. He speaks of Fiery Cross Reef on a day when the sea was so calm that the ship’s anchor could be distinctly seen sixty or seventy feet from the surface. Rowing over a two-fathom patch, he allowed the boat to drift slowly, and gazed on the sea treasures beneath him.

   • 1997, Mark J. Valencia, Jon M. Van Dyke, Noel A. Ludwig, “Analyzing the South China Sea Claims Under International Law”, in Sharing the Resources of the South China Sea‎^[2], Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, published 1999, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, International Law, page 22:

     Fiery Cross Reef is about 14 nmi long. U.S. Defense Mapping Agency charts indicate that it is submerged at high tide in its natural state,⁴⁷ but other sources claim it has one rock at its southwest end that is about the size of a table and is 0.6 meter above water at high tide.⁴⁸ This reef has been converted into an artificial island and now contains a supply base, a helipad, a 300-meter pier capable of handling 4,000-ton ships, and an ultra-modern oceanographic observation station that can receive and transmit messages through satellites and provide vital meteorological data to passing aircraft and ships.⁴⁹

   • 2016 January 5, “Beijing sea flight test on disputed island draws rebukes from US, neighbors”, in Deutsche Welle‎^[3], archived from the original on 5 January 2016, China‎^[4]:

     China's landing of an aircraft at Fiery Cross Reef has already drawn criticism from its neighbors, among them Vietnam, which said China's move violated Hanoi's sovereignty. The Philippines, a US ally, said Monday it was also considering a formal protest.

   • 2018 September 20, Hannah Beech, “China’s Sea Control Is a Done Deal, ‘Short of War With the U.S.’”, in The New York Times‎^[5], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 September 2018, Asia Pacific‎^[6]:

     On Fiery Cross Reef, a complex of buildings with Chinese eaves was arrayed at the center of the reclaimed island, including an exhibition-style hall with an undulating roof. It looked like a typical newly built town in interior China — except for the radar domes that protruded like giant golf balls across the reef. A military-grade runway ran the length of the island, and army vehicles trundled across the tarmac. Antenna farms bristled.

   • 2021 January, Zoe Haver, “China Maritime Report No. 12: Sansha City in China's South China Sea Strategy: Building a System of Administrative Control”, in CMSI China Maritime Reports‎^[7], number 12, China Maritime Studies Institute [中国海事研究所], →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 January 2021, page 29:

     Sansha City has two districts, both created in April 2020.²¹² The Xisha District (西沙区) People’s Government is based on Woody Island and has jurisdiction over the Paracel Islands and Zhongsha Islands.²¹³ The Nansha District (南沙区) People’s Government is based on Fiery Cross Reef and has jurisdiction over the Spratly Islands.²¹⁴ Each district assumably has a district party committee as well.²¹⁵ Though publicly available information on these new districts is scarce, the establishment of Xisha District and Nansha District will likely improve Sansha’s administrative capacity and expand localized policymaking.²¹⁶

• (from Mandarin Chinese) Yongshu, Yungshu