Malaysian Minister of Defense Hishammuddin Hussein on Monday said he would meet his Australian counterpart next week to discuss China’s military buildup in the disputed South China Sea and hold talks with fellow claimants the Philippines and Vietnam.
China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about US$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also have claims.
Hishammuddin said he would meet Australian Minister of Defense Marise Payne to ensure efforts are made to “hold China to their promise of not placing military assets in the area.”
“If the reports we’ve received from various sources regarding the buildup and placement of military assets in the Spratlys [Nansha Islands, 南沙群島] are true — this forces us in a pushback against China,” Hishammuddin told reporters.
US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper in a letter last month said that China’s land reclamation and construction work on the islands had established infrastructure needed “to project military capabilities in the South China Sea beyond that which is required for point defense of its outposts.”
The 10-member ASEAN said last month it was “seriously concerned” over developments in the disputed waters, which includes recent missile and fighter jet deployments by China in the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島).
Hishammuddin said he would also meet with authorities in Vietnam and the Philippines because, if reports about China’s military expansion were true, Malaysia “cannot act alone in stopping the aggressive actions.”
“We need the support of other ASEAN countries, and I will continue to [seek that support],” Hishammuddin said. “This is important for us to maintain balance, and to curb the actions by superpowers, whether it is China or the United States.”
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