A top Chinese general yesterday said that China’s newly created islands in the disputed South China Sea are intended mainly to aid shipping and dismissed concerns that Beijing is seeking to strengthen its control over the strategically vital region.
Chinese Central Military Commission Deputy Chairman General Fan Changlong’s (范長龍) remarks came as expectations grow that the US might directly challenge Chinese claims in the South China Sea by sailing a US Navy ship inside the 12-nautical mile (22km) territorial limit surrounding one of the man-made islands.
Concerns have been growing over the rapid appearance of islands created by piling sand atop reefs and atolls controlled by China, which is now adding harbors, air strips and large buildings.
Photo: Reuters
The US and others have called on Beijing to halt those projects, saying they are destabilizing an increasingly militarized region.
Fan said concerns that the island construction could affect freedom of navigation were unfounded.
“In fact, those construction projects are mainly carried out for civil purposes,” Fan told the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing. “As we have promised, the projects will not affect freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Instead, they will enable us to provide better public services to aid navigation and production in the South China Sea.”
China’s assurances have failed to gain much traction abroad, and speaking shortly after Fan, Admiral Gary Roughead, the former US chief of naval operations, said the rapid expansion of the islands and a lack of clarity from Beijing “heightens suspicions and presents the potential for miscalculations.”
While Beijing’s assurances are welcomed, confidence measures and increased transparency are needed to persuade China’s neighbors of its peaceful intent, Roughead said.
Fan cited the recent launch of operations by two new lighthouses on Chinese island holdings as evidence of good intentions and said Beijing was committed to resolving disputes peacefully.
“We will never recklessly resort to the use of force, even on issues bearing upon sovereignty, and have done our utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts, said the general, a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission which is headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Fan also said China would accelerate the establishment of an 8,000-member stand-by force for UN peacekeeping missions promised by Xi at the UN last month, as well as a commitment to train 2,000 foreign peacekeepers over the next five years.
China will also pursue expanded military cooperation with the 10 members of ASEAN, whose defense ministers it hosted at a forum in Beijing on Friday.
That includes exploring the possibility of establishing hotlines and exchanging liaison officers between their militaries, Fan said.
The ASEAN meeting and Xiangshan Forum are part of an effort by China’s military to burnish its reputation in a region wary of Beijing’s territorial ambitions. Four ASEAN members have claims to seas and islands in the South China Sea that clash with Beijing’s own.
China has sparred with Vietnam, another ASEAN member, over ownership of the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島), which are also claimed by Taiwan, leading to a confrontation last year when Beijing moved a massive oil drilling platform into contested waters.
On Thursday, Vietnam accused China of sinking one of its fishing boats near the disputed islands. The incident was apparently motivated by a desire to steal the ship’s catch of fish and put it out of commission.
There was no evidence that any Chinese government ships were involved, although Beijing’s aggressive actions are believed to embolden Chinese fishermen in the area.
China’s military, especially its navy, is gathering formidable capabilities, fueled by large annual increases in the military budget, which is now the world’s largest behind the US.
China is adding new ships and submarines at a rapid pace, and its first aircraft carrier will soon become operational. Meanwhile, a massive military parade in Beijing last month showcased new missiles permitting China to hit targets — including US Navy ships and bases — throughout the region.
Along with claiming almost all of the South China Sea’s island groups and crucial sea lanes, China is dueling with Japan over ownership of the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), which Taiwan also claim, and in late 2013 declared an air defense zone that would theoretically give it control of aviation over much of the East China Sea.
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