MOD defends deploying facilities in S. China Sea

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MOD) has rebutted a U.S. think tank's report which claims that China is setting up weapon installations on the reefs of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

An aerial photo of a reef in the South China Sea. [Photo / MOD]

The MOD said on Dec. 15 that China has "undisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands along with the waters that surround them." The MOD reiterated that the construction, including land reclamation, in the South China Sea was mainly for civilian purposes.

In its report published on Dec. 13, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), a U.S. think tank affiliated to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), claimed that "China appears to have built significant point-defense capabilities, in the form of large anti-aircraft guns and probable close-in weapons systems (CIWS)."

"These gun and probable CIWS emplacements show that Beijing is serious about the defense of its artificial islands in case of an armed contingency in the South China Sea. Among other things, they would be the last line of defense against cruise missiles launched by the United States or others against these soon-to-be-operational air bases," the report concluded.

The Chinese MOD defended the deployment, saying "the necessary military facilities are for self-defense and are justifiable and legitimate."

"For example, if someone is flaunting powers just before your door, wouldn’t you prepare a slingshot just in case?" the MOD said.

According to the MOD, the construction and most of the facilities are for civil purposes, such as meteorology, maritime studies, rescue and ecological protection.

The MOD's refutation may signal rising tensions over the South China Sea issue. Reports show Vietnam protesting over the PLA Navy’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of recovering the Xisha Islands and Nansha Islands after Japan's illegal occupation in World War II.

The PLA Navy Commander, Admiral Wu Shengli said in his speech at the commemoration held on Dec. 8 that the Chinese government's recovery of the South China Sea islands were "as per the stipulations of the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation," which shaped the post-WWII world order.

Admiral Wu stressed that the Chinese government always upholds the principal of "retaining sovereignty, setting aside disputes and making joint explorations" to resolve disputes through negotiation and to manage differences through mechanisms that achieve win-win results through mutually beneficial cooperation.