Apart from their frantic dredging and island-building in the South China Sea, China is now also building an air and naval base in the Nanji Islands (27° 27’ N, 121° 04’ E) which is the closest part of China to the Senkaku Islands. They had previously built an airfield on a ridge (26° 56’ N, 120° 05’ E) near Xiapu to be close to the Senkakus.  The current Google Earth image shows some Su-27s or clones at the western end of the apron and some J-8 Finbacks in the center of the apron.    The new base in the Nanji Islands is only a few minutes closer to the Senkakus by jet aircraft but it puts China within ferry distance by helicopter. A photo carried by the Japan Times shows a hill with its top flattened and now bearing at least eight helipads: The round trip from the Nanji Islands to the Senkakus is 370 miles (600 km). The ferry range of Chinese troop transport helicopters is 500 miles (800 km). Japan has coast guard...(Read Full Article)