Inside China's high-tech secret military base known as 'Mischief Reef'Mischief Reef was a low-tide, ring-shaped island located in the Spratly Islands, one of the major archipelagos in the South China Sea. Mischief Reef, along with at least two other features known as Subi and Fiery Cross reefs, have been outfitted with military infrastructure ranging from airstrips to missile launchers. China began occupying Mischief Reef in 1994, asserting that the area was being used to assist fishermen. The island is anticipated to continue being a crucial part of China's maritime operations in the South China Sea. "I just look back to 1995 in a place called Mischief Reef.