China is not militarizing the disputed South China Sea, the nation’s premier said yesterday in Australia, claiming defense equipment Beijing has installed on artificial islands is “primarily” for civilian use.
The sea is a source of growing regional tension, with Beijing insisting it has sovereignty over virtually all the resource-rich waters — which are also claimed in whole or part by Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei — and deemed international waters by most of the world.
“Even if there is a certain amount of defense equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強) told a news conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra.
“Because without such freedom, or without stability in the South China Sea, the Chinese side would be among the first to bear the brunt of it,” he said.
China “never has any intention to engage in militarization in the South China Sea”, he said, adding that the installations — which include airstrips and missile batteries — are “primarily for civilian purposes.”
Li said aircraft and ships that transit through the South China Sea were from trading partners with Beijing, “so one can easily imagine how many Chinese interests are at stake here.”
Sydney-based independent strategic consultant Tim Johnston said the nations involved in the dispute were “being slightly disingenuous.”
“You build up features in the South China Sea in disputed waters, you are likely to have to defend them, which implies some degree of militarization,” Johnston said. “We have the photographs of what looks like military installations on a number of the islands that China occupies.”
Li’s comments that Beijing did not want to restrict navigation in the South China Sea was also to be expected as no nation was seeking such an outcome, Johnston said.
Instead, it was China’s need for a veto over activities in the waters that were contentious “in a region where nationalism is very raw and borders are undefined.”
However, he added that the premier’s remarks could be interpreted as an attempt “not to exacerbate the situation,” at least in the short term.
“No one is likely to back down publicly, but that’s very different from not pushing forward. I think that’s where we are,” he said.
Australia has followed key ally the US in carrying out several so-called “Freedom of Navigation” flights and sail-bys in the region, which China previously described as “provocations.”
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has also said the building of artificial islands and possible militarization by China create regional mistrust.
Turnbull reiterated his call for all parties to resolve their differences peacefully under international law.
“We encourage all parties to refrain from taking any actions which would add to tensions, including actions of militarization of disputed features,” Turnbull said.
Beijing last year vehemently dismissed a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that there was no legal basis to China’s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number