China has constructed a massive ship that it describes as ‘magic island maker’ in order to create artificial islands.

The country constructed this huge ship naming it ‘Tian Kun Hao’ and it is actually Asia’s largest dredging vessel. The ship is a larger version of the past Chinese ships that were used to produce artificial islands in the South China Sea. The magic island maker can dig at a rate of 6,000 cubic meters per hour that is equal to almost three swimming pools.

Artificial islands are created by digging large quantities of sand and depositing it over an existing island, an appropriate rock formation or a coral reef. This can help build up a landmass able to host military bases and air strips.

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According to the state-owned China Daily, the ship testing would be done by June 2018. Once it is completed, the ship would be the most powerful vessel in Asia.

Futurism wrote, criticisms and concerns however, have been raised regarding this ship. One of the concerns is that the landmasses might not be particularly suitable. Secondly, it might affect the existing ecosystems. Also, though artificial islands can give space for the agricultural and residential needs, it is however, important to use the technology with extensive care and consideration. There are also alternatives provided including building floating cities or going underwater, which can actually be more ecologically feasible.