China Rejects Vietnam’s ‘Unfounded Accusation’ Over South China Sea Plane Landing

Vietnam said the plane landed on Jan 2 and launched a formal diplomatic protest, while Philippines Foreign Ministry spokesman Charles Jose said Manila was planning to do the same.

Vietnam said last week that the flight test violated its sovereignty and demanded that China stop similar actions.

He met the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with both sides stressing the need for them to control and manage the their disagreements and recognize their common interests.

The United States has expressed alarm over China’s island-making in the disputed waters and deployed a guided missile destroyer near Subi Reef in October to challenge Beijing’s claim of sovereignty in the waters around the artificial islands.

The Spratly Islands (better known as the Spratlys) comprise over 750 reefs, atolls and islands, and lie at the heart of economically important shipping lanes in the South China Sea. We again call for all claimants to halt land reclamation, further development of new facilities, and the militarisation on their outposts, and instead focus on reaching agreement on acceptable behaviour in disputed areas.

For the past few years, China has gradually asserted its claim to majority of the South China Sea by rapidly building artificial islands and airstrips that can accommodate military jets.

Relations between the communist neighbors have grown tense in recent years over the disputed Spratlys and Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島).

Japan and the Philippines lend support to Vietnam’s expression of anger at Beijing after a Chinese plane landed on an airstrip it constructed on the islands, which have been artificially enlarged by China. We think at present, the general situation in the South China Sea area is stable.

The US says China’s actions pose a threat to freedom of navigation in the region and denies Beijing’s sovereignty over the islands. As with most of its policy in the South China Sea, Beijing has remained opaque about its plans for the island airstrips. The airfeild on the Fiery Cross Reef is 3000 meters, or almost two miles long, enough to accomodate large military aircraft.

USA allies in the region have increased their military spending in an attempt to counter the growth of China’s military presence in the region.