CHINA UNVEILS MONUMENT TO SOUTH CHINA SEA ISLAND-BUILDING

BEIJING— China has unveiled a monument marking its construction work in the disputed South China Sea, which has included reclaiming land for artificial islands, the Chinese military’s official newspaper said on Tuesday.

In a brief report, the People’s Liberation Army Daily said the monument was unveiled on Monday on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands, where China has built one of its airstrips and other military facilities.

The Philippines claims the reef and calls it Kagitingan Reef, although Vietnam disputes ownership of the reef with the Philippines and China.

The monument sends a message about China’s determination to protect its territory and maritime rights, the report added.

China’s building work has unnerved its neighbors and caused alarm in the United States, especially as much of the construction has been for military facilities like airports.

China has repeatedly defended the work, saying it has every right to build on what it considers inherent Chinese territory and that it is building public facilities, like weather stations and typhoon harbors.

China recently completed extensive military exercises in the South China Sea, where its claims are hotly disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Taiwan also lays claim to most of the sea.

China’s construction of islands and military facilities in the South China Sea, through which some $3 trillion in trade passes annually, has sparked concern it is seeking to restrict free movement and extend its strategic reach.

The United States has conducted “freedom of navigation patrols” through the South China Sea, stoking tensions with China, which says it will protect its sovereignty.