China Locks Down Airspace for 40 Days — Builds Biggest-Ever Base in S. China Sea
China is expanding its footprint in the South China Sea with rapid construction on Antelope Reef, potentially creating its largest overseas military base yet. At the same time, Beijing has imposed unusually large and prolonged airspace restrictions near Japan and South Korea — raising questions about whether it is preparing for something more significant. With the US focused on the Middle East, is China exploiting a strategic window to shift the status quo in Asia? From island-building to airspace control, these moves could reshape regional security and complicate any future Taiwan contingency. In this episode, we examine what China may be planning and the implications for Southeast Asia, the Taiwan Strait and the greater Indo-Pacific region. *Recorded on April 7, 2026 at 2:30pm Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Consultant: Max Yu Research Assistant: Ryan Pham Our guests: Ronan Fu - Academia Sinica Institute of Political Science Assistant Research Fellow Bryce C. Barros - Institute for National Defense and Security Research Visiting Fellow
