BEIJING: China on Tuesday said it has the right to develop South China Sea islands as it sees fit in the wake of US accusations that it has fully militarised at least three of several islands it built in the disputed waterway in violation of a previous commitment.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters at a daily briefing that China’s deployment of “necessary national defence facilities on its own territory is a right entitled to every sovereign country and is in line with international law, which is beyond reproach”.
Wang said that US military activities in the area aimed to “stir up trouble and make provocations”. “That seriously threatens the sovereignty and security of coastal countries and undermines the order and navigation safety in the South China Sea,” he said.
On Sunday, US Indo-Pacific Commander Adm John C Aquilino said China had armed the islands with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and fighter jets, in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby.
Aquilino said the hostile actions were in stark contrast to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s past assurances that Beijing would not transform the artificial islands in contested waters into military bases. The efforts were part of China’s flexing of its military muscle, he said.
“I think over the past 20 years we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II by the PRC. They have advanced all their capabilities and that buildup of weaponisation is destabilising to the region,” Aquilino told The Associated Press in an interview, using the initials of China’s formal name.
—Agencies

KR Desk