@Baldimo,
Reefs like Mischief Reef, Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef ... are not fake islands, any older chart will show them.
Those reefs have been destroyed outright to serve as a foundation for new islands.
The Chinese were relative latecomers to island building in the Spratly archipelago - Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan have all expanded islands in the Spratlys as well, but at nowhere near the same scale as China.
In 2015, the USA did the same as today: sending warships in the disputed waters, talk with China about it, ... ... ...