China has launched a fresh food supply service for residents of Woody Island, part of the hotly contested Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
A flight carrying fresh fruit, vegetables and meat landed on Woody Island – known as Yongxing Island in Chinese – on Tuesday, according to local state broadcaster Sansha TV.
Woody Island is the largest outcrop in the Paracels, which are called the Xisha Islands in China. The island hosts the government of Sansha, which was established to administer most of Beijing’s maritime and territorial claims in the South China Sea. Sansha is part of Hainan province and is China’s southernmost city.
By the end of 2024, Sansha had a permanent population of around 2,200, excluding military personnel. Over 98 per cent of residents were under 65 years old, according to the latest official records.
The Sansha government buys the goods daily from suppliers on Hainan Island. The products are flown from the provincial capital of Haikou to Woody Island, about 400km (249 miles) away, then distributed to local supermarkets.
“This has significantly reduced transit time and helps preserve freshness,” supermarket manager Fu Shipeng told Sansha TV.
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