As the C130 Hercules makes a bumpy landing on Taiwan-controlled Taiping island, a small tropical outcrop little longer than its 1.2km runway, mobile phones receive a text message from a Vietnamese network that says “Welcome to Vietnam”.

In the geographical heart of the South China Sea, the location of one of the world’s most troubling territorial disputes, nations are using what means they can to push their claims to this 0.5 sq km island, the largest natural feature in the southern Spratly chain.

Vietnam is projecting its military-owned mobile phone network, while buying submarines and fighters from Russia to transform its attack capabilities. Mighty China is investing even more on its armed forces, buying hardware and building and fortifying its own artificial islands.