Beijing adds weapons to S. China Sea

US think tank says the anti-aircraft guns and anti-missile weapons designed to guard against missile attack have been placed on all seven of China’s newly-created islands

BEIJING—A US think tank says recent satellite images appear to show that China has installed anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons on its man-made islands in the South China Sea.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report late Wednesday that the anti-aircraft guns and close-in weapons systems designed to guard against missile attack have been placed on all seven of China’s newly-created islands.

The outposts were built in recent years by piling sand on top of coral reefs followed by the construction of airstrips, barracks, lighthouses and radar stations and other infrastructure.

China says the islands are intended to boost maritime safety in the region.

They also mark its claim to ownership of practically the entire South China Sea, its islands, reefs and other maritime features.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, said they are now verifying reports that the People’s Republic of China have installed anti-aircraft guns and other weapons in disputed portions of the Spratly Islands.

“We are verifying. But if true it is a big concern for us and the international community who use the South China Sea lanes for trade. It would mean that the Chinese are militarizing the area which is not good,” he added.

Earlier, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said that it has monitored the construction of hexagonal buildings in Fiery Cross, Mischief Reef, and Subi Reef, areas where China constructed artificial islands, and these facilities seemed fitting with anti-aircraft guns and other weapons capable of shooting down aircraft or even cruise missiles.

Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei also claim territory in the strategic waterway, while the US Navy insists on its right to operate throughout the area, including in waters close to China’s new outposts.

The US has committed to beef- ing up its military presence in the area, although new uncertainty has been introduced by incoming US President Donald Trump.

The President-elect has called for a reconsideration of its commitments to its Asian allies, including Japan and South Korea, while simultaneously criticizing Chinese trade policy toward the United States and its new territorial assertiveness.

Trump referred to China’s man-made islands in a tweet earlier this month, saying Beijing didn’t ask the US if it was OK to “build a massive military complex in the South China Sea.”