Matthew Fisher reports that to support part of its claim to about 85 per cent of the South China Sea, Beijing is building artificial islands on tiny outcroppings, atolls and reefs in hotly disputed waters in the Spratly Archipelago.
Tons of sand, rocks, coral cuttings, and concrete are transforming miniscule Chinese-occupied outcroppings into sizable islands with harbors, large multi-story buildings, airstrips, and other government facilities. Adm. Harry Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet, dubbed Beijing’s island-building project in the South China Sea “a great wall of sand" and says China has created “over four square kilometers of artificial land mass,” adding there were serious questions about Beijing’s intentions. The scale of China's construction in the Spratly Islands is clear in new satellite images. "What's really stunning in these images, every time you see a new set of images come out, is just the speed and scale at which this work is occurring," says Mira Rapp-Hooper.
A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry insists the islands are being built to give ships a haven in the typhoon heavy region. “We are building shelters, aids for navigation, search and rescue as well as marine meteorological forecasting services, fishery services and other administrative services” for both China and its neighbors, the spokeswoman said, according to Reuters, though no one was buying that explanation.
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U.S. surveillance imagery has spotted weapons on artificial islands in the South China Sea:
The U.S. imagery detected two Chinese motorized artillery pieces on one of the artificial islands built by China about one month ago. While the artillery wouldn't pose a threat to U.S. planes or ships, U.S. officials said it could reach neighboring islands and that its presence was at odds with China's public statements that the reclaimed islands are mainly for civilian use.
"There is no military threat," a U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday. "But it is about the symbolism."
While posing no military threat to the U.S., the motorized artillery was within range of an island claimed by Vietnam that Hanoi has armed with various weaponry for some time, the American officials said. Vietnamese officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman in Washington wouldn't comment specifically on the weaponry, but said its development work within the Spratly Islands—known by the Chinese as the Nansha Islands—was primarily civilian.
China's first white paper on military strategy [single page], published on May 26th by the State Council Information Office, reveals that China is planning to project naval power beyond its offshore borders and focus on "open seas protection." Additional BBC reporting.
Original Submission
A Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft is being deployed to Singapore amid growing tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea:
The United States has deployed a P-8 Poseidon spy plane to Singapore for the first time. It is the latest in a series of US military actions seen as a response to China's increasingly assertive claims over territory in the South China Sea.
The US says it will also base a military reconnaissance plane at Singapore's Paya Lebar air base. US P-8s already operate from Japan and the Philippines, and surveillance flights have taken off from Malaysia. The P-8 was deployed on Monday, and will remain in Singapore until 14 December.
In addition to the P-8 deployment, the US says it will operate a military plane, either a P-8 Poseidon or a P-3 Orion, from Singapore for the foreseeable future, rotating planes on a quarterly basis. The US-Singapore agreement, announced after a meeting in Washington on Monday between US Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, also covers co-operation on counter-terrorism, fighting piracy, and disaster relief.
Previously: China's Island Factory
China Builds Artificial Islands in South China Sea
Chinese Weaponry Spotted on Artificial Islands
China is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but that won't stop it from ignoring this ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague:
An international tribunal in The Hague delivered a sweeping rebuke on Tuesday of China's behavior in the South China Sea, including the construction of artificial islands, and found that its expansive claim to sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis.
The tribunal also said that Beijing had violated international law by causing "severe harm to the coral reef environment" and by failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from harvesting endangered sea turtles and other species "on a substantial scale."
The landmark case, brought by the Philippines, was seen as an important crossroads in China's rise as a global power. It is the first time the Chinese government has been summoned before the international justice system, and the decision against it could provide leverage to other neighboring countries that have their own disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.
"It's an overwhelming victory. We won on every significant point," said the Philippines' chief counsel in the case, Paul S. Reichler. "This is a remarkable victory for the Philippines."
But while the decision is legally binding, there is no mechanism for enforcing it, and China, which refused to participate in the tribunal's proceedings, reiterated on Tuesday that it would not abide by it. "The award is invalid and has no binding force," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "China does not accept or recognize it."
Now the U.S. can feel properly justified as it continues to do nothing. This news is also reported at Time , Reuters, The Guardian , and The Washington Post . Full response at Xinhua.
Previously: China Builds Artificial Islands in South China Sea
U.S. Spy Plane Deploys to Singapore Amid South China Sea Tensions
China Places Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers on Disputed Island
U.S. Admiral Warns of New Activity Near Reef Seized by China
The West Protests as the Chinese Military Continues to Operate in the South China Sea
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @03:46AM
China has developed technology to thwart rising sea levels?
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Sunday April 12 2015, @04:17AM
Yeah, it's not a secret. Just pile more dirt on your land. This trick works everywhere.
I expect the US gov't to pay for this to happen along both coasts "to preserve our way of life".
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @04:21AM
Waterboarding and warmongering?
(Score: 2) by deimios on Sunday April 12 2015, @04:47AM
And since we know that China is good at it, why not pay them to do the same in the US?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @04:49AM
Sure, we already pay Mexicans to steal our dirt, why not pay Chinese to put it back.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @03:56AM
Never ever trust China. The Internet sayed so! Uhuhuhuhuhuh.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @03:59AM
An't no Mericans ordered new islands in south sea! Do what Mer'ca says or else we drone the shit otta ya!
(Score: 5, Interesting) by GungnirSniper on Sunday April 12 2015, @05:08AM
There's a good number of reasons China is doing this now:
Aside from the obvious costs I don't see any downside. Their neighbors aren't going to stop them.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @07:55AM
Aside from the obvious costs I don't see any downside. Their neighbors aren't going to stop them.
And that's exactly why you see the US govt bitching about it. A stronger China is the last thing they want to see.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @08:53PM
It should be the last thing any westerner wants to see. If not, they've drank the cool-aid of "anything an enemy of America is good".
(Score: 3, Insightful) by zocalo on Sunday April 12 2015, @04:19PM
Not sure if you were aware or not, but the one child policy is now in the process being consigned to history. It didn't attract much fanfare in the West at the time but it was relaxed in November 2013 to a two child policy provided one of the parents is a single child, although the story I did see recently on this was that the people are having a hard time getting used to the idea and are voluntarily sticking to the policy.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 2) by arslan on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:12PM
Yea, rumor has it that there's gas and oil in the South China Sea bed..
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Sunday April 12 2015, @06:08AM
A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry insists the islands are being built to give ships a haven in the typhoon heavy region.
this is obvious bullshit, just like how they claimed they were the victims in the github attack when lo and behold their operation was exposed. sadly, it remind me of the kind of denials you get from parts of the US government.
you can't trust governments to tell the truth. :(
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @06:09AM
I watched a documentary either on TV or Netflix over a year ago about exactly this (China building artificial islands to exert land claims in South China Sea).
I only did a quick Google just now and they have been doing this since at least early 2013 if not sooner. So the "China doing this now..." is about two years late.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @06:55AM
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32126840 [bbc.com]
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-32234448 [bbc.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @02:57PM
LOL its the pot calling the kettle black.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @02:12PM
See also: http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/10/27/south-china-sea/ [nytimes.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by inertnet on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:56AM
Chinese children learn a Chinese version of the world map where all the disputed territories are shown as Chinese, so good luck trying to change the world view of the whole Chinese population.
(Score: 3, Touché) by caffeinated bacon on Sunday April 12 2015, @02:31PM
That's what the rest of the world thinks about American Science textbooks, and Japanese History textbooks also.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Sunday April 12 2015, @05:25PM
Cut them some slack! they probably don't have enough land in that country.
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