Defensive role for Nansha islands
Print Edition
CHINA yesterday sketched out plans for islands it is creating in the South China Sea, saying they will be used for defense as well as to provide civilian services that will benefit other countries.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news briefing that reclamation and building work on the Nansha Islands was needed partly because of the risk of typhoons in an area with a lot of shipping that is far from land.
“We are building shelters, aids for navigation, search and rescue as well as marine meteorological forecasting services, fishery services and other administrative services” for China and neighboring countries, Hua said.
The islands and reefs would also meet the demands for China’s defense, Hua said, without elaborating.
“The relevant construction is a matter that is entirely within the scope of China’s sovereignty. It is fair, reasonable, lawful, it does not affect and is not targeted against any country. It is beyond reproach,” Hua added.
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which US$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have overlapping claims.
All but Brunei have fortified bases in the Nansha, also known as Spratlys.
Hua reiterated China’s adherence to a peaceful development path and defensive national defense policy.
“We are in favor of solving disputes with directly concerned countries through negotiations and working with ASEAN countries to jointly safeguard peace and stability of the South China Sea,” she said.
Hua said some countries had double standards regarding construction work by China and other related countries in the Nansha Islands. She did not name a specific country.
“We hope countries concerned would honor their commitments of not taking sides on the South China Sea issue, and do more to help regional peace and stability,” she said.
Jin Canrong, associate dean of the School of International Studies at Beijing’s Renmin University, said: “The motivation in giving an explanation is a good one, to set minds at ease.”
Hua’s comments came hours after a Washington-based think tank published new satellite images showing that China is quickly reclaiming land around Meiji Reef, also known as Mischief Reef, in the Nansha Islands.
The work on the reef is China’s most recent reclamation.
A March 16 image published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows what it said were a chain of small artificial land formations as well as new structures, fortified seawalls and construction equipment. Several dredgers are also present.
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