Politics

China criticised for weapon deployment to artificial islands

International experts have warned that China’s deployment of weapons to an artificial island it is developing in the East Sea is posing a risk of a military crisis.
International experts have warned that China’s deployment of weapons toan artificial island it is developing in the East Sea is posing a riskof a military crisis.

The “The Wall StreetJournal” newspaper recently posted an article about the US surveillanceimagery that has detected two Chinese motorised artillery weapons on oneof the artificial islands illegally built by China one month ago.

Senator John McCain, Chairman of the US Senate’s Armed ServicesCommittee, said that the move is a disturbing and escalatorydevelopment.

Meanwhile, US Defence SecretaryAshton Carter stated at the 14 th Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore onMay 30 that China’s island-building in the East Sea is underminingsecurity in the Asia-Pacific.

Sharing a similarviewpoint, Prof. Michael Pillsbury, an expert on Chinese issues from theUS Defence Department, said that changes in China’s defence policiesand its deployment of weaponry to the artificial island will kindle amilitary crisis in the future.

If China hasdeployed military assets in the Truong Sa (Spratly) island chain, thiswould mark a “substantial escalation”, said Jonathan Eyal, the head ofinternational studies at the Royal United Services Institute.

“The militarisation of the situation would make it very clear thatthe Chinese objective is to impose physical control over some of themost sensitive international waterways in the world,” stated Eyal. “Itwould show China’s long term intention, which is a permanent, physical,military presence in these waterways”.

On thesidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue, the Vietnamese delegation head,Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh, said that if the information onChina’s deployment of weapons is true, this would be detrimental to thecomplex situation in the East Sea.

He expressedhis hope that the international community maintains its responsibilityfor peace, stability and development in the region, and does not ignoreacts that violate international law.

China hasbrazenly claimed sovereignty over most of the East Sea waters. In recentmonths, it has been speeding up the construction of artificial islandsin Truong Sa archipelago’s reefs.

Vietnam, inturn, has requested China to immediately end its constructions in theHoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa archipelagoes, and strictly follow andenforce international law.-VNA
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