Beijing has jets, missiles on man-made islands in South China Sea, says US official

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, September 29

China has stationed fighter jets and latest war-fighting long-range missiles on man-made islands in the South China Sea, a senior US Department of Defence official has told a legislative oversight committee in US.

Harassing nations

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China has harassed legitimate economic activities of other claimants (to the South China Sea) and interfered with the ability of other states to exercise navigational rights. Lindsey W Ford, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Lindsey W Ford on September 28 informed the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee, US House of Representatives, about the development.

China has an increasing array of military capabilities, including advanced anti-ship cruise missiles, long-range surface-to-air missile systems, J-20 stealth fighter jets, laser and jamming equipment and military radar and signals intelligence capabilities — all on small islands created by dredging in the South China Sea, said Ford.

China has steadily equipped its Spratly Island outposts, including Mischief Reef, Subi Reef and Fiery Cross, said the US official.

Over the past decade, China has added more than 3,200 acres of land to its seven occupied outposts in Spratly Islands, which now feature airfields, berthing areas and resupply facilities to support persistent Chinese military and paramilitary presence in the region. “These military posts are used to harass vessels and assets of Southeast Asian nations. We’ve witnessed a sharp uptick in coercive and risky operational behaviour by China,” she said.