Hidden Chinese Overseas Military Base?
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ISLAMABAD - A photo has been shared hundreds of times in multiple posts on Facebook and Twitter which claim it shows a hidden Chinese military base in Zambales, a province northwest of Manila. The claim is false; the photo shows the Gotthard Base Tunnel in the Swiss Alps; the story about a hidden Chinese military base in Zambales originated from a satirical article in 2016.
The photo was published here on Facebook link August 29, 2019.
Below is a screenshot of the misleading post:
The post’s caption states: “a wake-up call to fil…”
The text above the image states: “Breaking Story: Hidden Chinese Military Base with Alleged Missile Silos Found in Zambales”
by: iNTEl gURU
“While many Filipinos know of China’s construction of military bases in six different reef areas inside the Philippines’ exclusive 200 mile economic zone in the West Philippines Sea, they are unaware that China has clandestinely build a “Deep Underground Military Base” in Zambales, the province nearest to Scarborough Shoal in the Philippines”.
Zambales link is a province located northwest of Manila.
It is located link 124 nautical miles away from Scarborough shoal.
China link has military facilities in parts of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines, including the Scarborough shoal.
“West Philippine Sea link” is the name which the Philippines gives to parts of South China Sea which it claims as its territory.
The same photo was shared here link and here link on Facebook and here link on Twitter with a similar claim.
The claim is false; the photo actually shows the Gotthard Base Tunnel in the Swiss Alps.
A reverse image search on Google found the photo published in this 2010 article link by US magazine Popular Mechanics. -APP/AFP
