China confirmed that it has weapons on a disputed island in the South China Sea, state media said yesterday, as US Secretary of State John Kerry slammed Beijing for “militarization” of the strategically vital region.
The US broadcaster Fox News on Tuesday reported that a privately owned satellite company had provided images that appeared to show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers and a radar system had been installed on Woody Island (Yongxing Island, 永興島) — one of the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) — earlier this month.
Pentagon officials say the pictures are authentic, and Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General David Lo (羅紹和) on Wednesday said that Taipei is closely monitoring developments.
Photo: EPA
Taiwan, China and Vietnam claim all or part of the Paracel Islands.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense yesterday confirmed that “China has deployed weapons on the island for a long time,” reported the Global Times newspaper, which has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
It did not specify what weapons were on the island.
However, it attempted to downplay the deployment, saying recent reports were an example of Western media playing “the same old tune” about a “China threat,” the newspaper cited the ministry’s news office as saying.
“China has the fair and legal right to deploy defense facilities within the boundaries of its own territory,” the report added.
Tensions in the sea — through which one-third of the world’s oil passes — have mounted in recent months since China transformed contested reefs in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) further south into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities.
Washington says Beijing’s actions threaten free passage in a strategically vital area and has sent warships close to the disputed islands to assert freedom of navigation, raising fears of escalation.
The US is planning “very serious conversations” with China about the anti-aircraft missiles Beijing is believed to have deployed on the island, Kerry said on Wednesday.
Answering questions from reporters in Washington, Kerry said there was “every evidence” that China was increasing militarization in the South China Sea.
He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) stood in the Rose Garden of the White House last year and promised that there would be no militarization of the South China Sea.
“We have said repeatedly with respect to China that the standard that should be applied to all countries with respect to the South China Sea is no militarization,” Kerry said.
“We had these conversations with the Chinese and I’m confident that over the next days, we will have further very serious conversations on this,” Kerry said.
The top US diplomat expressed hope that Beijing would work to resolve the maritime disputes “not through unilateral action, not through force, not through militarization, but through diplomacy and by working with other countries and claimants.”
Meanwhile, Beijing has insisted it has the right to build “self-defense” systems in the region.
An editorial published yesterday in the Global Times said that the US has “injected the most military elements in the region.”
If China has in fact placed surface-to-air missiles on the island, they might make “jet fighters from the US ... feel uneasy when making provocative flights in the region. To us, that’s a proper result,” the editorial said.
Taiwan last night blanked world No. 1 Japan 4-0 to win the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time. Taiwanese ace Lin Yu-min (林昱珉) held defending champions Japan to just one hit and no runs in the first four innings, before catcher Lin Chia-cheng (林家正) opened the fifth inning with a solo home run. That was soon followed by a three-run homer from Taiwanese captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) to put Taiwan ahead in the prestigious tournament of the world’s top 12 baseball teams. In addition to a superb performance from 21-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Lin, three more Taiwanese pitchers
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
Taiwan yesterday advanced to the gold medal match of the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time in history, despite last night losing 9-6 to Japan. Taiwan advanced after the US defeated Venezuela in the first game on the last day of the Super Round. However, the US had no chance of advancing to the championship game unless it defeated Venezuela by at least nine points. The US won 6-5. As a result, the two teams — who both had one win and two losses in the Super Round — are to face off again in the
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology
RSS