China defends land reclamation projects

— China vigorously defended its South China Sea land reclamation projects in the face of persistent criticism from U.S. leaders at an international security summit Saturday as the standoff in the Asia-Pacific region shows few signs of abating.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other officials sharply condemned the artificial island building but provided no details on what steps the United States may take to press China into diplomatic talks.

Carter said China’s land reclamation was out of step with international rules and turning underwater land into airfields would not expand its sovereignty.

He and others said the U.S. opposes “any further militarization” of the disputed lands. That was a reference to two large motorized artillery vehicles that officials said China had placed on one of the artificial islands.

Chinese officials, in public statements and a private meeting, defended the construction and criticized the U.S. for interfering.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the U.S. was “making absurd remarks about China’s long-established sovereignty and rights, stirring up trouble and slinging accusations regarding China’s appropriate and rational construction activities on its islands. China resolutely opposes this.”

David Shear, the assistant U.S. defense secretary for Asian issues, said a private meeting with Chinese Rear Adm. Guan Youfei, the chief of foreign affairs at the defense ministry, was “spirited and candid. There aren’t any silver bullets to resolving this. It’s going to take time, and it’s going to take some determined diplomacy by us and with our partners.”

Singapore