China opens lighthouses on disputed islands

The USA and its close allies in Asia are opposed to China’s ongoing construction on man-made islands in the South China Sea and have called on Beijing to stop the buildup.

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel maneuvers to block a Philippine government supply ship with members of the media aboard at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea.

The Ministry of Transport held a completion ceremony for the construction of Huayang and Chigua Lighthouses on Huayang Reef of China’s Nansha Islands, marking the start of the operation of the two lighthouses.

China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea overlap with the claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. U.S. and Chinese officials had in-depth exchanges on the issue, and Washington is very clear about Chinas views.“We hope that the U.S. can adopt an objective viewpoint and altogether we can safeguard the peace and security of the South China Sea and the U.S. can play a constructive role in this, ” she said.

“No comment for now while we validate the information”, said Assistant Foreign Secretary Charles Jose, spokesperson for the DFA. The United States has urged China to stop its activities on and near the islands.

China said on Friday that it would not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation.

The ministry will continue constructing facilities for navigation aids, emergency response and lifesaving, Xinhua said, to provide “regional countries and all passing vessels with navigation services, aiming at forging a safety chain and network in the region”.

However, neither the U.S. Defense Department nor the administration of President Barack Obama have confirmed the reports.

The country also said it plans to continue building on the islands, despite growing friction with its neighbors in the region, as well as the United Sates. A report in the South China Morning Post Thursday quoted a military source in China as suggesting that Beijing has a few “cost-effective” options for such a confrontation such as using drones to ward off ships.

The issue is central to increasingly tense relations between the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies.