look news india
China has once again proved its engineering and manufacturing capabilities. A huge artificial island has been created by filling sand in the sea near the port city of Dalian in Liaoning province. Now the process of building the world’s largest artificial airport on this island is going on rapidly. The project not only reflects China’s technological proficiency but also symbolizes the country’s growing power on the global stage.
According to the report of South China Morning Post, this huge airport will be spread over an area of 20.9 square kilometers (7.7 square miles). Four runways are being built under the project, each of which will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Additionally, a grand passenger terminal spanning 900,000 square meters (969,000 sq ft) is under construction.
This airport is planned to be operational in its first phase by the year 2035. According to preliminary data, it will operate 540,000 flights every year and serve approximately 8 crore passengers. The ambitious project has also attracted a lot of attention on Chinese social media platform WeChat. One post mentioned:
“The country’s largest offshore airport is rising slowly above sea level like the sunrise in the east.”
Will leave other artificial airports behind
After the completion of the construction work, this airport will become the largest artificial airport in the world. It will surpass Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Japan’s Kansai Airport (KIX), which are spread over 12.48 and 10.5 square kilometers respectively.
Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport will be the first artificial island airport off the coast of mainland China. This will be another example of China’s technological and strategic capability, which will further strengthen it on the global stage.
Strategic importance and regional impact
This new airport in Dalian is not only a technological marvel, but also has deep strategic importance. It will be located close to Japan and South Korea, due to which it can also play an important role from geopolitical point of view. Dalian, which is a major hub for oil refinery, shipping, logistics, and coastal tourism, will become more important because of this airport.
However, the project has raised concerns from regional neighbours, particularly Japan. Japan fears that in future this airport could be used for strategic and military purposes. China has long been interested in increasing its military presence in disputed waters, and this airport could further reinforce this approach.