China fumes at US militarization

BEIJING—China’s defense ministry on Thursday accused the United States of “militarizing” the South China Sea by staging patrols and joint military drills there, ramping up the rhetoric ahead of a key regional security meeting in Malaysia next week.

China has repeatedly urged Washington not to take sides in the escalating maritime dispute over the area, where the Asian giant last year stepped up its creation of artificial islands, alarming neighbors and provoking US criticism.

The United States has demanded that China halt land reclamation and militarization of the disputed area and pursue a peaceful resolution according to international law.

China has been angered by US Navy and Air Force forays through waters it claims as its own, especially this month, when US Navy Admiral Scott Swift said he joined a routine surveillance flight.

The United States has also stepped up military contacts, including drills, with regional allies such as the Philippines, which also has claims in the South China Sea.

Up at security talks

The South China Sea is likely to feature prominently at next week’s security meeting in Malaysia, attended by Southeast Asia and Chinese foreign ministers and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, but Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.

The United States was hyping up the “China threat” and attempting to sow discord between China and other claimant countries, Chinese defense ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun told a news briefing.

“China is extremely concerned at the United States’ pushing of the militarization of the South China Sea region,” he said.

“What they are doing can’t help but make people wonder whether they want nothing better than chaos,” he said.

For a long time, the United States had carried out frequent, widespread, close-in surveillance of China, by sending ships and aircraft to the region, Yang added.

“Recently they have further increased military alliances and their military presence, frequently holding joint drills,” he said.

But if certain US officials wanted to take civilian flights over the South China Sea to “enjoy its beauty,” China had no problem with that, Yang said.

China’s own drills there were a normal part of its routine military exercises and not aimed at any third party, he said.

But he expressed concern at reports that Filipino fishermen had found buoys with Chinese markings near the disputed Scarborough Shoal and towed them back to shore northwest of Manila.

“If these reports are correct, then certain people have elbowed their way into somebody else’s home, and taken others’ possessions,” he said.

Carpio’s claim

Yesterday, Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri, told journalists in Manila that the AFP was looking into the claim of Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio that China had occupied 10 more reefs in the South China Sea as well as increased activities in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

Iriberri said it was the first time that he heard of this information since the AFP surveillance images of the disputed waters did not show this.

“We will confirm it. We have not yet talked to Justice Carpio but we have to check it first,” Iriberri said.

On Tuesday, Carpio told a forum on the West Philippine Sea issue that China was dredging on 10 reefs to provide filling material for artificial islands that it is building in the disputed waters. He did not identify the reefs, but China has so far reclaimed land in seven disputed reefs and shoals.

Panatag is next?

Told that Carpio also said that China might also reclaim Panatag Shoal, Iriberri said no dredging activities were seen there except for the presence of Chinese ships. The shoal is located approximately 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, which is well within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

According to Carpio, China wants to reclaim Panatag and put up an air and naval base to control the Bashi Channel, an important launching pad for firing nuclear arms, possibly against the United States.

Iriberri said the AFP was also looking into media reports of the presence of buoy and boom with Chinese markers found in the waters off Zambales which he said could be used for dredging.

“There have been some reports that it could have been used for dredging, but coming from where, that we have not established so far,” he said.

Meanwhile, the United States, in a rare admonishment of a close ally, the US urged the European Union on Wednesday to speak out more forcefully to support Washington in its dispute with China over building and militarization of man-made outposts in the South China Sea.

Amy Searight, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia, said Washington welcomed European Union calls for a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in the sea and respect for international law.

But there was “somewhat of a difference of approach” when it came to Washington’s call for a freeze on activity by rival claimants, something China has rejected. Cynthia Balana