China finishing South China Sea buildings, maybe for missiles

China, in an early test of US President Donald Trump, has nearly finished building almost two dozen structures on artificial islands in the South China Sea that appear designed to house longrange surface-to-air missiles, two US officials told Reuters.

The development is likely to raise questions about whether and how the United States will respond, given its vows to take a tough line on China in the South China Sea.

China claims almost all the waters, which carry a third of the world’s maritime traffic. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. Trump’s administration has called China’s island building in the South China Sea illegal.

Recently released satellite images show what the Center for Strategic and International Studies Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative says appears to be concrete structures with retractable roofs on the artificial island Subi Reef.

Building the concrete structures with retractable roofs on Subi, Mischief and Fiery Cross reefs, part of the Spratly Islands chain where China has already built military-length airstrips, could be considered a military escalation, the US officials said in recent days, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another official said the structures appeared to be 20 meters long and 10 meters high.

A Pentagon spokesman said the United States remained committed to “non-militarization in the South China Sea” and urged all claimants to take actions consistent with international law.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday he was aware of the report, though did not say if China was planning on placing missiles on the reefs.

In his Senate confirmation hearing last month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson raised China’s ire when he said Beijing should be denied access to the islands it is building in the South China Sea.

Tillerson subsequently softened his language, and Trump further reduced tensions by pledging to honor the long-standing US “one China” policy in a February 10 telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.