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South China Sea: disputed Spratly Islands now home to supermarkets for PLA soldiers
- The stores are located at military bases on three of Beijing’s artificial islands in the hotly contested archipelago, according to state media
- The shops provide groceries and other daily necessities for troops, who previously had to wait for monthly supply vessels, CCTV reports
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China has opened supermarkets on three of its biggest artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea in an attempt to improve life for soldiers as Beijing cements its presence in the strategically important waterway, according to state media.
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The stores are located on military bases on Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, a hotly contested archipelago known as the Nansha Islands in China, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday.
The Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also claim the three reefs, while Malaysia and Brunei have claims to other parts of the archipelago.
The first store opened in late 2020 on Fiery Cross Reef, an artificial island known as Yongshu Reef in China, allowing People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers stationed on the islands to shop for groceries and daily necessities, rather than waiting for supply vessels every month.
More than 400 kinds of products, ranging from crisps and cold drinks to shampoo and toothbrushes, are available to the soldiers at a 15 per cent discount from market prices on the mainland, according to the report.
The supermarket on Fiery Cross Reef also has a reading corner, coffee bar, laundry room and karaoke booths, according to an earlier report by the PLA Daily.
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CCTV said the supermarkets had “further enriched and explored the material support capability to the Nansha Islands”.
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