The Pentagon on Tuesday called on China to reaffirm it has no plans to deploy military aircraft in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) after Beijing used a military plane to evacuate sick workers from a new airstrip on an island it has created in the disputed South China Sea.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense earlier dismissed US queries as to why Beijing had used a military aircraft rather than a civilian one in Sunday’s evacuation from Fiery Cross Reef (Yongshu Reef, 永暑島).
US Department of State spokesman John Kirby told a regular news briefing it was “difficult to understand” why China would have had to use a military aircraft for the evacuation. He also said it was “a problem” that the workers had apparently been working on “infrastructure improvements of a military nature.”
A Pentagon spokesman, Commander Gary Ross, called on China to clarify its intentions.
“We urge China to reaffirm that it has no plans to deploy or rotate military aircraft at its outposts in the Spratlys, in keeping with China’s prior assurances,” Ross said.
Ross also called on all rivals in the South China Sea to clarify their claims in accordance with international law and “to avoid unilateral actions that change the ‘status quo.’”
The ministry said Beijing had indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and the Pentagon had no right to comment on Chinese building works and defensive facilities there.
It said it was Chinese military tradition to “wholeheartedly serve the people” and help those in need.
“In sharp contrast, the US side is expressing doubts about whether it’s a military or civilian aircraft at a time when somebody’s life is in danger,” the ministry said. “We cannot but ask: if a US citizen suddenly took ill on US soil, would the US military look on with folded arms?”
Chinese activity in disputed waters of the South China Sea, including the construction of islands by dredging sand onto reefs and shoals in the Spratly Islands, has alarmed rival claimants Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.
The US has repeatedly criticized the construction of the islands and worries that China plans to use them for military purposes.
It worries that trade in what is one of the world’s busiest waterways could be threatened, but China says it has no hostile intent.
The runway on the Fiery Cross Reef is 3,000m long and is one of three China has been building in the archipelago.
Civilian flights began test runs there in January, but Sunday’s landing was the first China has publicly reported by a military plane at Fiery Cross Reef.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Africa has established the continent’s first space agency to boost Earth observation and data sharing at a time when a more hostile global context is limiting the availability of climate and weather information. The African Space Agency opened its doors last month under the umbrella of the African Union and is headquartered in Cairo. The new organization, which is still being set up and hiring people in key positions, is to coordinate existing national space programs. It aims to improve the continent’s space infrastructure by launching satellites, setting up weather stations and making sure data can be shared across
RSS