Sydney: The Chinese military has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of its contested islands in the South China Sea, Fox News reported, citing new civilian satellite imagery.
The images from Image Sat International, from last week, appear to show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea.
A US Navy destroyer, the USS Curtis Wilbur, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracel chain last month in a move the Pentagon said was aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the disputed waters. China condemned the US action as provocative.
The report comes as Foreign Minister Julie Bishop begins a visit to Beijing where she is expected to question China’s intent in the South China Sea with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
“What we have maintained publicly and privately to China and other claimants in the South China Sea is that we urge all parties to cease reclamation and construction work,” Ms Bishop said in Tokyo on Monday. “We note that [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] said in Washington that China did not intend to militarise the constructions in the South China Sea and we hold China to that.”
The images obtained by Fox News appeared to sow the HQ-9 air defence system, which has a range of 200 kilometres and would pose a threat to aircraft flying close by.
The missiles arrived at Woody Island over the past week, Fox News said. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on February 3, but the missiles were visible by February 14, it reported. A US official confirmed the accuracy of the photos, Fox News said.
The Diplomat also reported last week that China’s South China Sea island-building had expanded into the Paracel Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
Images that were separately obtained appeared to show dredging and filling at two new sites in the island chain and the construction of a helicopter base. China has already constructed airstrips and naval berths capable of use for military purposes.
The report came as US President Barack Obama concluded a two-day summit with South-east Asian leaders where he promised US support to regional nations to counter China’s expanding claims in the flashpoint waters.
But a joint statement agreed between the US and the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations at the summit in California did not include specific mentions that Washington had been seeking on China’s aggressive pursuit of its sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea.
ASEAN member states are divided on how to deal with China’s claim to the resource-rich territory that is of the world’s busiest trade shipping routes.
Countries like the Philippines and Vietnam favour a more aggressive approach while other nations like Cambodia and Laos, which have closer ties with Beijing, are reluctant to directly challenge China’s behaviour.
Mr Obama said the ASEAN leaders had agreed in California that any territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully and through legal means, including a case brought by the Philippines.
“Freedom of navigation must be upheld, and lawful commerce should not be impeded,” Mr Obama said. “We will continue to help our allies and partners strengthen their maritime capabilities.”
Tensions have escalated over the territory in recent weeks.
China provoked condemnation when it landed civilian planes on an artificial island where it has built infrastructure that can accommodate military aircraft.
Vietnam has accused China of towing a $1 billion oil rig into disputed waters in a potential rerun of a stand-off that sparked violent anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam in 2014.
The United States has obtained final approval to expand its military presence in the Philippines and has begun making spy flights over the region in Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft based in Singapore. http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-election/south-china-sea-dispute-chinese-missiles-in-paracels-says-fox-news-20160217-gmw6zl.html
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