US plans more moves in South China Sea

He told the Senate Armed Services Committee that China’s construction and military facilities are changing the operational landscape in the South China Sea.

“The imagery from ImageSat International (ISI) shows two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island”, reported Fox News, who also claimed the islands received the systems between February 3 and 14.

“The islands in the South China Sea have been China’s territory since ancient times, and China has the right to safeguard its territorial sovereignty”, Wang said.

To date, China has almost completed land reclamation at seven sites in the South China Sea, and has finished work on runways, infrastructure and man-made bases, Harris said.

In the past few years, China has erected artificial islands in the South China Sea, which is a major hub for the transport of oil and other natural resources.

Kerry said that both Russian Federation and China have expressed concern over the missile defense system. The U.S.is not a claimant but says it has an interest in maintaining peace and stability, and freedom of navigation and commerce. Then on Monday, a US think tank reported that China has built new radar facilities in the Spratly Islands, which lie further south.

Kerry echoed Polling’s statements at the press conference, but Wang insisted no one has any trouble navigating the sea.

Soon after he spoke, USA government sources confirmed that China recently deployed fighter jets to Woody Island.

“For the South China Sea waters to be calm, Washington should first stop its ugly practice of smearing China and avoid any move that stirs up tension in the region”, it said.

“Because when you pay attention to what China is deploying, do you also pay attention to other countries which have over the years, on Chinese islands they have occupied, deployed many radars and advanced weaponry?”

“This would be very important in a Chinese anti-access area denial strategy that sought to reduce the ability of the U.S.to operate freely in the South China Sea, including bringing forces up through the South China Sea in case of any future crisis in Northeast Asia”, Gregory Polling, head of the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS, told The Washington Post. The resolution will be the worldwide community’s response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test on January 6th and its long-range missile launch just over a month later.

Harris, however, said he supported regular freedom of navigation operations by the U.S. North Korea has more than 100,000 rockets aimed at Seoul, he said.

He also said it was “preposterous” that China would try to “wedge itself” between South Korea and the U.S.to oppose the potential deployment of a defensive missile defense system against North Korea.