One week before Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet United States President Donald Trump at a G-20 summit in Japan, a satellite image has emerged that shows the presence of 4 Chinese J-10 fighter jets on Woody Island, a disputed territory in the South China Sea. The island is under Chinese control, but is claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam as well.
Analysts suggest that China aimed to send a message about the deployment of the J-10s by placing the aircraft out in the open instead of in hangers. The move may also be part of a plan by China to eventually declare an ADIZ (air defense identification zone) over the region. China has claimed the right to do so since 2016. If that happens, no foreign aircraft will be allowed to fly over the territory without informing the Chinese government first.
Read more: South China Sea: Satellite image shows Chinese fighter jets deployed to contested island
