‘Salami slicing’: How China is trying to increase control in the Pacific
China’s incremental expansion in the Pacific raises alarms as island-building and maritime claims escalate
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The brief
China has accelerated construction of a new artificial island in the South China Sea, expanding **Antelope Reef** to **1,490 acres** in recent months—its largest island-building project in years. Coverage highlights a broader pattern of **‘salami slicing’**, where Beijing incrementally extends maritime jurisdiction, including east of Taiwan and in the East China Sea, through gray-zone tactics. The strategy blends land reclamation, administrative boundary adjustments, and military presence to assert control without direct confrontation.
Outlets including **CNN, The Times of India, and the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR)** emphasize the **strategic implications** of these moves, framing them as part of a deliberate campaign to dominate key maritime chokepoints. Ukrainian outlet **Наша Ніва** and Indian outlet **India Today** focus on the **regional ripple effects**, particularly for neighbors like Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan. Analysts note the **lack of unified pushback**, with regional powers adopting cautious or divided responses.
Watch for **formal protests or countermeasures** from the U.S., ASEAN nations, or Japan, as well as potential **military drills or infrastructure deployments** near the newly expanded reefs. Coverage does not yet specify whether China will formalize its claims or escalate tensions in response to international reactions.
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Quick answers
What is ‘salami slicing’ in this context?
A strategy where China makes small, incremental territorial or jurisdictional expansions—such as island-building or administrative boundary shifts—to gradually assert control without triggering large-scale conflict.
Which countries are most directly affected by Antelope Reef’s expansion?
Neighboring nations with overlapping claims in the South China Sea, including **Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei**, as well as **Taiwan and Japan** in adjacent waters.
Has the U.S. or any ally responded to these developments?
Coverage does not yet detail specific responses, but past patterns suggest potential **freedom of navigation operations, diplomatic statements, or increased military presence in the region**.
Coverage (5)
- Why is China secretly building a massive new island in the South China Sea? India Today · 1d ago
- China gradually expands its maritime jurisdiction east of Taiwan Наша Ніва · 1d ago
- China's biggest island-building project in years: How Antelope Reef grew to 1,490 acres in months The Times of India · 1d ago
- China’s Gray-Zone Strategy in the East China Sea: Upping the Ante The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) · 1d ago
- ‘Salami slicing’: How China is trying to increase control in the Pacific CNN · 1d ago
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