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.
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
ECONOMIC DISTORTION? The US commerce secretary’s remarks echoed Elon Musk’s arguments that spending by the government does not create value for the economy US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Sunday said that government spending could be separated from GDP reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. “You know that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.” Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the US economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because
Hundreds of people in rainbow colors gathered on Saturday in South Africa’s tourist magnet Cape Town to honor the world’s first openly gay imam, who was killed last month. Muhsin Hendricks, who ran a mosque for marginalized Muslims, was shot dead last month near the southern city of Gqeberha. “I was heartbroken. I think it’s sad especially how far we’ve come, considering how progressive South Africa has been,” attendee Keisha Jensen said. Led by motorcycle riders, the mostly young crowd walked through the streets of the coastal city, some waving placards emblazoned with Hendricks’s image and reading: “#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN.” No arrest
RSS