Chapter Thirty-Three: Patroling the South China Sea

  The Battle of the Paracel Islands has ended, but the result is astonishing to many countries. South Vietnam was not a naval power, but it inherited a batch of active warships left by the US military, which made South Vietnam suddenly become one of the top naval powers in Southeast Asia. Moreover, although the South Vietnamese Navy was only a third-rate navy in the eyes of traditional naval powers, the Chinese Navy was actually an unranked navy.

  But this unorthodox Chinese Navy thrashed the third-rate navy in the eyes of Europe and America, almost annihilating the South Vietnamese Navy and most of its air force at zero cost, as well as an army division. After this naval battle, Lin Feng and Zhang Yuanpei decided to visit the Nansha Islands to further demonstrate sovereignty over the South China Sea.

  The Nansha Islands are located at the southernmost tip of the motherland's southern border, with the most islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and the widest distribution. They are situated between 3°40′′ to 11°55′′ north latitude, and 109°33′′ to 117°50′′ east longitude. The northernmost point is Xian'e Tan, the southernmost point is Zengmu Ansha, the easternmost point is Haili Ma Tan, and the westernmost point is Wan'an Tan. The islands stretch over 500 nautical miles from north to south, and over 400 nautical miles from east to west, covering an area of approximately 820,000 square kilometers, accounting for about two-fifths of the traditional South China Sea area. The surrounding countries are Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines, bordering the islands from the west, south, and east respectively.

  The Nansha Islands consist of more than 550 islands, islets, reefs, shoals and cays, but only about one-fifth are above water. The South China Sea Islands refer to the general term for many islands, islets, reefs, submerged reefs and shallow shoals in the South China Sea that belong to China. They have a wide distribution range, stretching over 1,000 kilometers from north to south and more than 900 kilometers from east to west, with more than 200 islands, reefs, shoals and cays. The islands stretch from Beiwangtan near the coast in the north to Wan'an Shoal in the west, Zengmu Ansha in the south, and Huangyan Island in the east. From north to south, they can be roughly divided into four major island groups: Dongsha, Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha. The Nansha Islands are the southernmost, most numerous and most scattered of the four major island groups in the South China Sea. The main islands include Taiping Island, Nanwei Island, Zhongye Island, Zhenghe Reef, Wan'an Shoal, etc. Zengmu Ansha is the southernmost point of Chinese territory.

  The Nansha Islands are strategically located, situated between the two major naval bases of Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay and the Philippines' Subic Bay. They control the Pacific-Indian Ocean sea route, a vital international shipping lane that connects East Asia to South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The islands also serve as an important gateway for China's opening-up and a crucial barrier for the security of its southern border.

  Of the 39 shipping lanes connecting China with foreign countries, 21 pass through the Nansha Islands waters, accounting for 60% of China's external trade transportation. The Nansha Islands have a tropical marine monsoon climate, with an average monthly temperature ranging from 25 to 29 degrees Celsius. The islands are rich in rainfall, with dense shrubs and abundant birdlife, making them a major producer of guano (bird excrement). The waters surrounding the islands are home to a diverse array of marine life, including over 200 species of fish, 155 species of floating plants, and more than 66 species of shellfish.

  The Nansha Islands waters are also rich in mineral resources, including oil, natural gas, iron, copper, manganese, and phosphorus. The islands' oil and gas reserves are particularly abundant, with estimated geological reserves of approximately 3.5 billion tons, earning them the nickname "the second Persian Gulf". These resources are mainly distributed across several basins, including the Zhongjiannan Basin, Wan'anxi Basin, and Beilun Tan Basin, covering a total area of approximately 410,000 square kilometers. The oil and gas reserves in the Zhongjiannan Basin alone are estimated to be around 12.6-13.7 billion tons.

  At 13:00 on January 19, 1974, the Chinese United Fleet arrived at Taiping Island, which was then garrisoned by Taiwanese troops and is also the only island in the Spratlys controlled by Taiwan. Taiping Island, commonly known as Huangyan Dao or Itu Aba Island, is the largest island in the Spratly Islands with an area of 0.49 square kilometers (1,289.3 meters long from east to west and 365.7 meters wide from south to north; it takes only ten minutes to walk from the western coast to the eastern coast).

  In 1946, the Taiwanese authorities dispatched a naval force to recover the Nansha Islands and named the island after its flagship, "Taiping". Taiping Island is currently under actual control by Taiwan, with troops stationed on the island. Taiping Island is the only island in the Spratly Islands that has fresh water resources (even Yongxing Island, the largest island in the Xisha Islands controlled by mainland China, does not have fresh water resources), fertile soil, and is covered with coconut trees, papayas, and bananas. Taiping Island possesses an absolute survival advantage unmatched by any other South Sea island.

  "What a beautiful place!" Lin Feng exclaimed, looking at the picturesque scenery of Taiping Island, and said to Zhang Yuanpei.

  Zhang Yuanpei nodded heavily and said: "After going back I will report everything here to the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao."

  Lam Fung continued: "We hope the central government can send people to occupy and develop this place as soon as possible. Many surrounding countries have been eyeing this place, if we slow down now, we will be in a passive position later."

  Zhang Yuanpei said with some pain: "We all know these things, but we don't have a fleet suitable for long voyages, and we can't even build warships of over 10,000 tons. What do you want us to defend with?"

  Lin Feng also understood the true situation of the Chinese mainland's navy, so he hesitated and said: "General Zhang, I think our Taiwan and mainland can cooperate to take control of this place as soon as possible. I estimate that by next year or even in the second half of this year, these small countries in Southeast Asia will take advantage of their geographical advantages to occupy my South China Sea islands."

  Zhang Yuanpei then asked "How will we cooperate? Will it be like this time, with a joint military operation?"

  Lin Feng said with confidence: "Joint military operations are only part of it, we also need to fully develop the economic value of the South China Sea. Most of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea are below sea level, and even if they are above sea level, they are not suitable for human habitation. However, our Taiwan has the technical capability to develop and construct these islands. We will build a small number of islands with military value into military bases, while most of the other islands will be built into tourist resorts."

  Zhang Yuanpei asked in doubt: "Tourism? Does anyone come here?"

  Lin Feng said confidently: "Now there may be very few people coming, but as the living standards of the people improve, more and more people will want to come out for tourism. At that time, the Nansha Islands tourist area will become the largest domestic tourist attraction. In this way, the Nansha Islands will be completely in China's hands, and we can also use the same method for the Xisha, Dongsha, and Zhongsha Islands."

  Zhang Yuanpei thought for a moment and said: "These are not things I can decide on, but rest assured that I will report your thoughts and suggestions to Chairman Mao." Then he hesitated and said: "General Lin, I have one more thing to trouble you with. This is somewhat embarrassing for me to bring up..."

  Lin Feng looked at Zhang Yuanpei who seemed a bit embarrassed and said: "General Zhang, if you have something to say, just speak directly. If there's anything I can help with, I definitely won't stand idly by."

  Zhang Yuanpei said with a determined heart: "I'd like to invite the Taiwanese Navy and the People's Liberation Army Navy to hold a joint military exercise. I know it may be difficult, but for the future of China's navy, this exercise must be held."

  Lin Feng looked at Zhang Yuanpei's determined face. The backbone of the Chinese people in this era is straight, they are not afraid of any challenges, and their persistent pursuit of a strong country's will and action is worth our learning. The current Chinese army not only lags behind the world's military powers in combat equipment but also falls behind other countries in combat ideology. The most direct manifestation is the performance in the initial stage of the counterattack against Vietnam a few years later.

  Lin Feng said to Zhang Yuanpei, "This time we can play big, let's have a joint military exercise between the three armies, and let the mainland and Taiwan be divided into red and blue teams for confrontation exercises. You go back and report to your superiors first, see what they say, there are still many troubles in this."

  The Chinese fleet patrolled the Nansha Islands without encountering any naval vessels from countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia. Instead, they spotted many foreign fishermen who had come to fish in secret. Lin Feng didn't have much to say about this situation, ordering the fleet to ram them directly. Along the way, they destroyed nearly ten fishing boats and captured dozens of fishermen, who would all be taken to Taiwan for trial. It's estimated that they won't be able to go out to sea again in their lifetime. Afterwards, Lin Feng ordered the fleet to head to Zengmu Ansha, China's southernmost point, where they rebuilt the Chinese boundary marker. Then, they sailed around the waters near Indonesia and other countries before setting off on their return journey.

  Just as Lin Feng and his men were still sailing on the high seas, news of the victory in the Xisha Sea Battle had already been received at home. People from both mainland China and Taiwan were celebrating this great victory with enthusiasm, and this naval victory was all the more significant because it was the first time that the navies of both sides had cooperated, which greatly enhanced the feelings between the people on both sides of the strait. Unlike the jubilation of the Chinese people, the South Vietnamese side suffered heavy losses, not only were their naval forces completely annihilated, but also Haikou was thoroughly destroyed by the Chinese, and all the islands they had occupied before the war were lost. Now they still have to guard against further retaliatory actions by the Chinese.

  Because their master, the Americans, were fully engaged in a showdown with the Soviets in Europe and had no time to bother about South Vietnam, which was already a dead pawn. However, what the Vietnamese did not know was that Lin Feng simply didn't have the time to deal with them; first, he had to actively prepare for military exercises with the mainland, and secondly, he also had to contact wealthy people on the island to discuss the development of the South China Sea Islands.

  As the economy on the island developed, many wealthy people also began to pursue a life of enjoyment. Lin Feng's plan just met the needs of many rich people. Investing overseas and building private islands became the hottest topic in Taiwan for the new year. Even Zhao Yazhi and her family, who came to Taiwan for Chinese New Year this year, were enthusiastically discussing it.

  Lin Feng looked at his mother-in-law and her family in the house and said, "A Zhi, after the government approves the South China Sea development plan, I plan to invest in two small islands. At that time, I will hand them over to Big Brother and his wife to manage."

  Zhao Yazi glanced at Lin Feng who was drinking tea and said hesitantly: "A Feng, these are all ordinary people, I'm afraid they can't manage this"

  "Nobody is born with all the skills, let your elder brother learn first and then take over slowly, don't worry, it's okay."

  At this time, Zhao Yazi's older brother Zhao Yameng walked over after hearing the conversation between the two. Zhao Yameng smiled bitterly and said: "Ah Feng, I know what kind of person I am. If you want me to manage these islands, I'm afraid it won't work."

  Lin Feng said, "Hey, big brother, what are you talking about? You don't have to manage specific things, these are all handled by the staff. Just put your mind at ease." After hearing this, neither Zhao nor his sister spoke up. Since Lin Feng had already made up his mind, they could only try it out.