Fiery Cross Reef is a militarized reef in the South China Sea that is occupied and controlled by China as part of Sansha of Hainan Province. It is also claimed by the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, and Vietnam. The atoll was named after the British tea clipper Fiery Cross, which was wrecked on the atoll on 4 March 1860. Over the past few years, the reef has been equipped with facilities that could be employed for military uses, such as a large runway, hangar space to accommodate multiple combat aircraft, and other radar, sensor, and communications facilities.