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.
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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.
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 has upped the ante by placing missile launchers on Woody Island in the South China Sea:
China has placed surface-to-air missile equipment on one of the disputed islands in the South China Sea, newly published satellite images appear to show.
Tensions in the region could rise after two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system were deployed to Woody Island in the past week, Fox News reported, citing images taken by the private company ImageSat International. An image dated 14 February showed the presence of the equipment, whereas the same area looked to be empty in an image dated 3 February.
Fox News cited a US official official as saying the images appeared to show the HQ-9 air defence system, which had a range of about 125 miles (200km) and could therefore threaten any nearby planes. Reuters news agency also reported that it had received confirmation of 'an apparent deployment' by China.
[...] A US navy destroyer sailed close to the disputed Paracel Island chain, which includes Woody Island, in a "freedom of navigation" exercise late last month. China, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims in the area and the US has objected to any "militarising" of the islands. China branded that action as "highly dangerous and irresponsible" and accused the US of being "the biggest cause of militarisation in the South China Sea".
Previously:
Chinese Weaponry Spotted on Artificial Islands
U.S. Spy Plane Deploys to Singapore Amid South China Sea Tensions
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @03:38AM
n/t
(n/t . . . n/t . . .)
Wow. Even the "n/t" echoes in this chamber!
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @03:46AM
The motorized artillery pieces are peaceful travelers who made a pit stop on the island.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Snotnose on Saturday May 30 2015, @06:21AM
They're just set pieces for Survivor: New China Islands.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @03:52AM
I'm so wet and slippery
(Score: 2) by rts008 on Saturday May 30 2015, @04:00AM
I can imagine all of the 'China builds an island, then INVADES it to use as base!' type headlines coming soon for this.
On a side note:
This news, and related, recent news is starting to head in the direction presented in an old DOS/Win95 game I used to play: "Tom Clancy's SSN". You commanded a Los Angeles class nuclear submarine(boomer).
The Spratly Islands were featured in a lot of the missions, and where the conflict started in game.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @04:03AM
Then INVADES to topple their regimes! Makin' the World safe for Freedom. FUCK YEAH!
(Score: 3, Informative) by Geezer on Saturday May 30 2015, @09:38AM
Fast attack boats like the SSN-688 Los Angeles class are not "boomers". Fleet ballistic missile boats FBM's) like theOhio, Lafayette, and Ethan Allen classes are/were boomers.
No citation needed. I used to help build and repair the motherfuckers.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Saturday May 30 2015, @06:43AM
So, could someone please draw a circle around the weapons in the marketwatch pic? 'cause, you know, after last year's "satellite imagery" of Russian rocket launchers/tanks/whatever in the Ukraine, I wouldn't be surprised if this pic (or are there pics?) follows a similar scheme.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @07:48AM
It's right here [imgur.com], next to Saddam's Heavenly Chocolate Chips factory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @10:16AM
Shite! I remember the satellite pictures of the missiles in Cuba, and the ones in Vietnam, and the ones in Iraq, and the ones in Iran!!! Should I be scared shitless yet, and crawl into my racist bunker and keep voting Republican?
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Saturday May 30 2015, @07:23AM
China and Vietnam have a long history of smoldering conflict. Does this mean we can run a betting pool on the inevitable artillery duels between the two islands?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @10:24AM
You might think that a long-standing conflict like that would be the topic of debate, but...
For some reason when Chinese or Russian military affairs are mentioned anywhere in the (U.S.) media, the articles always question whether we're prepared for the apparently eminent attacks. I don't get it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @10:43AM
must have lots and lots of cover when the tomahawks fly in.
really? land-based artillery on a flat sand-island?
srsly tho i think whoever wants to use a uninhabited island can with simple rule: no weapons allowed on land.
something-something UNO?
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday May 30 2015, @12:20PM
Wow..... i mean.... wow! For a Chinese Embassy spokesman to say that, and for
slashdotSoylentnews editors to repeat it! Blatant racism and stereotyping!Wow.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Saturday May 30 2015, @12:52PM
Well America if you don't know what to do, run it through the algorithm:
1. Is there oil there?
If yes - BOMB THEM
If no - go to 1.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 30 2015, @02:10PM
DING DING DING! You are the winner!!! You get the "How can I take this off-topic article and somehow turn it into a shit on the US comment award!!!"
Congratulations. We are all in awe of your deep insight and political analysis skills.