The
United States has raised concerns with China about its latest militarization of
the South China Sea and there will be near-term and long-term consequences, the
White House said on Thursday.
U.S.
news network CNBC reported on Wednesday that China had installed anti-ship
cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three manmade outposts in
the South China Sea. It cited sources with direct knowledge of U.S.
intelligence.
Asked
about the report, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a regular news
briefing: “We’re well aware of China’s militarization of the South China Sea.
We’ve raised concerns directly with the Chinese about this and there will be
near-term and long-term consequences.”
Sanders
did not say what the consequences might be.
A
U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said U.S. intelligence had
seen some signs that China had moved some weapons systems to its artificial
islands in the Spratly archipelago in the past month or so, but offered no
details.
CNBC
quoted unnamed sources as saying that according to U.S. intelligence
assessments, the missiles were moved to the Spratlys within the past 30 days to
Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and also Mischief Reef, which is 216 km (135 miles)
from the Philippines, well within Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
They
would be the first Chinese missile deployments in the Spratlys, where Vietnam,
the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have rival claims.
China’s
defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Its foreign ministry
said China has irrefutable sovereignty over the Spratlys and that necessary
defensive deployments were for national security needs and not aimed at any
country.
“Those
who do not intend to be aggressive have no need to be worried or scared,”
ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
‘UNIQUE
RESPONSIBILITY’
Close
U.S. ally the Philippines, which is now pursuing strong ties with its historic
rival China, gave a cautious response on Friday to the reported deployment.
“With
our recently developed close relationship and friendship with China, we are
confident that those missiles are not directed at us,” said Harry Roque,
spokesmen for President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Be
that as it may, we would explore all diplomatic means to address this issue.”
Julie
Bishop, the foreign minister of U.S. ally Australia, said the report, if
accurate, would be a concern as the actions would be contrary to China’s stated
aspiration not to militarize features it controls.
“China,
of course, has a unique responsibility as a permanent member of the Security
Council, to uphold peace and security around the world,” Bishop told reporters
in Australia.
“Any
action to militarize unilaterally features in the South China Sea would go
against that responsibility and that role.”
CNBC
said the YJ-12B anti-ship cruise missiles allowed China to strike vessels
within 295 nautical miles. It said the HQ-9B long-range, surface-to-air
missiles could target aircraft, drones and cruise missiles within 160 nautical
miles.
Eric
Sayers, a former consultant to the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command,
called the missile deployment “a major escalation” and said one immediate U.S.
response could be to rescind Beijing’s invitation to this year’s RIMPAC
multilateral naval exercises beginning in Hawaii in July.
“When
China sees that it can get away with these types of actions with little cost -
as they did all through 2015 and 2016 - it only makes it more likely they will
keep pressing,” said Sayers, an adjunct fellow at Washington’s Center for
Strategic and International Studies.
“China
sees its participation in the exercise as a sign of its acceptance among the
world’s maritime powers but Beijing should not be allowed to militarize this
open maritime domain and still be honored as a welcomed member of the maritime
community.”
Last
month, U.S. Admiral Philip Davidson, nominated to head U.S. Pacific Command,
said China could use its “forward operating bases” in the South China Sea to
challenge the U.S. regional presence and “would easily overwhelm the military
forces of any other South China Sea claimants.”
(Souce: Reuters)
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