China appears to have installed anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons on its man-made islands in the strategically vital South China Sea, a US security think tank says, upping the stakes in what many see as a potential Asian powder keg.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies said in a report late Wednesday that the anti-aircraft guns and close-in weapons systems designed to guard against missile attack have been placed on all seven of China’s newly created islands.
The outposts were built in recent years over objections by the US and rival claimants by piling sand on top of coral reefs, followed by the construction of military grade 3,000-metre airstrips, barracks, lighthouses, radar stations and other infrastructure.
Meanwhile, China said that the deployment of weapons in the South China Sea had “nothing to do with militarisation”, calling the construction of defensive facilities “normal”.
The comments came after images released by the US-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) showed a series of hexagonal structures on each of seven islets China constructed on uninhabitable rocks and reefs.
The structures appear to be large anti-aircraft guns and close-in weapons systems (CIWS) designed to take out incoming missiles and enemy aircraft, the AMTI said.
CSIS based its conclusions on satellite images taken in mid-to-late November and published on the website of its Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
“For example, were someone to be threatening you with armed force outside your front door, would you not get ready even a slingshotIJ” China’s Defence Ministry statement said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing that he had no information about the reported weaponry, but said such deployments were China’s sovereign right.
The Philippines, which has troops and villagers stationed on some reefs and islands near China’s new artificial islands, expressed concern despite recently improving relations with China.