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As Tensions With U.S. Grow, Beijing Says It Will Stop Building Artificial Islands in South China Sea As Tensions With U.S. Grow, Beijing Says It Will Stop Building Artificial Islands in South China Sea
(about 3 hours later)
BEIJING — By declaring Tuesday that it would soon complete its contentious program of building artificial islands in the South China Sea, Beijing hopes to diminish tensions with the United States but still reassure its nationalistic home audience that it has delivered on its pledge to resist American military pressure, experts said. BEIJING — By declaring Tuesday that it would soon complete its contentious program of building artificial islands in the South China Sea, Beijing hopes to diminish tensions with the United States while reassuring its nationalistic home audience that it has delivered on its pledge to resist American military pressure, experts said.
Leaders from the United States and China are set to meet next week in Washington at a major annual conference, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. A topic of the talks there is expected to be the Obama administration’s opposition to China’s building in the disputed waters, including the construction of a runway capable of handling military aircraft.Leaders from the United States and China are set to meet next week in Washington at a major annual conference, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. A topic of the talks there is expected to be the Obama administration’s opposition to China’s building in the disputed waters, including the construction of a runway capable of handling military aircraft.
After those talks, China’s leader, Xi Jinping is scheduled in September to make his first visit to Washington as president. After those talks, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is scheduled to make his first visit to Washington as president in September.
“We need to find some way to let this topic not become so prominent, and China wants to head off the activity,” said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University and an adviser to the Chinese government. “We have a lot of other things to do.”“We need to find some way to let this topic not become so prominent, and China wants to head off the activity,” said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University and an adviser to the Chinese government. “We have a lot of other things to do.”
Professor Shi said China wants the Washington summit to go smoothly ahead of Mr. Xi’s visit, where he may be confronted about South China Sea expansion, cyber theft and trade. Professor Shi said China wanted the Washington conference to go smoothly ahead of Mr. Xi’s visit, during which he may be confronted about South China Sea expansion, cybertheft and trade.
China said in a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website that it would confine its island building to seven reefs and shoals in the Spratly Islands. In a Tuesday announcement on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lu Kang, a spokesman, said that “relevant departments” in China had decided to go forward as planned with completing land reclamation work on some reefs and islands in the Spratly archipelago in the “coming days.”
This was a small concession because the mammoth dredging operation to build the artificial islands is virtually complete. All that remains now is to build whatever military installations Beijing has planned, experts said. He added that the sites in the Spratlys, which the Chinese call the Nansha Islands, would be used for “military defense needs” as well as “civilian demands,” including maritime search and rescue efforts, disaster prevention and mitigation, scientific research, meteorological observation, navigational safety measures and fishery services.
“The dredging is almost finished but construction of military facilities is not and I would guess that the Chinese will accelerate those after the September summit,” said Bonnie S. Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Security and International Studies in Washington. “After the land reclamation, we will start the building of facilities to meet relevant functional requirements,” Mr. Lu said.
The statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said as much: “After the land reclamation, we will start the building of facilities to meet relevant functional requirements.” Foreign analysts say the land reclamation efforts have been taking place at seven sites in the South China Sea.
“The dredging is almost finished but construction of military facilities is not, and I would guess that the Chinese will accelerate those after the September summit,” said Bonnie S. Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Security and International Studies in Washington.
The United States accuses China of building 2,000 acres of land on the outcroppings in the last 18 months and creating a runway at Fiery Cross Reef long enough to accommodate fighter jets.The United States accuses China of building 2,000 acres of land on the outcroppings in the last 18 months and creating a runway at Fiery Cross Reef long enough to accommodate fighter jets.
At a security forum in Singapore last month, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter called on China to stop construction, and warned that the United States would “fly, sail and operate” in the South China Sea to ensure freedom of navigation and flight as permitted by international law.At a security forum in Singapore last month, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter called on China to stop construction, and warned that the United States would “fly, sail and operate” in the South China Sea to ensure freedom of navigation and flight as permitted by international law.
Mr. Carter’s pointed remarks, as well as flights by American surveillance planes close to Fiery Cross Reef, may have forced the Chinese to at least slow the pace of military installations on the new islands, a senior Asian diplomat said. One of the flights carried a CNN crew that recorded and broadcast the Chinese Navy repeatedly warning the plane to go away.Mr. Carter’s pointed remarks, as well as flights by American surveillance planes close to Fiery Cross Reef, may have forced the Chinese to at least slow the pace of military installations on the new islands, a senior Asian diplomat said. One of the flights carried a CNN crew that recorded and broadcast the Chinese Navy repeatedly warning the plane to go away.
“The works underway will not stop – too politically damaging to do this – but whatever other things they may have in mind must now be rethought very carefully,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order not to offend the Chinese. “The works underway will not stop — too politically damaging to do this — but whatever other things they may have in mind must now be rethought very carefully,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order not to offend the Chinese.
The Chinese have rushed to finish the military installations before the 2016 presidential elections in the United States in order to remove them as a potential issue in the campaign, the diplomat said. The Pentagon’s reaction had forced the Chinese to pause sooner than they had planned, he said. The Chinese have rushed to finish the military installations before the 2016 presidential election in the United States in order to remove them as a potential issue in the campaign, the diplomat said. The Pentagon’s reaction had forced the Chinese to pause sooner than they had planned, he said.
The Chinese did not want to risk an air or sea confrontation with the United States in the South China Sea that could potentially rattle the grip of the Communist Party at home, the diplomat added.The Chinese did not want to risk an air or sea confrontation with the United States in the South China Sea that could potentially rattle the grip of the Communist Party at home, the diplomat added.
Still, the risks of military clashes between China and the United States in the South China Sea were unacceptably high, said Ms. Glaser. “There is a pressing need for a dialogue between the U.S. and China on the application of the Law of the Sea to the artificial islands and associated maritime rights,” she added. Still, the risks of military clashes between China and the United States in the South China Sea were unacceptably high, Ms. Glaser said. “There is a pressing need for a dialogue between the U.S. and China on the application of the Law of the Sea to the artificial islands and associated maritime rights,” she added.
The Chinese are sending a specialist maritime lawyer from the State Oceanic Administration, the state body that has a large voice in China’s policies in the South China Sea, to the conference in Washington next week, a sign that the Chinese were prepared for tough discussions, Ms. Glaser said.The Chinese are sending a specialist maritime lawyer from the State Oceanic Administration, the state body that has a large voice in China’s policies in the South China Sea, to the conference in Washington next week, a sign that the Chinese were prepared for tough discussions, Ms. Glaser said.
One of China’s most outspoken officials on the South China Sea, Wu Sichun, who heads the influential South China Sea Institute, said China had been “forced” to create the artificial islands as a way of defending itself. That view is popular among the Chinese public.One of China’s most outspoken officials on the South China Sea, Wu Sichun, who heads the influential South China Sea Institute, said China had been “forced” to create the artificial islands as a way of defending itself. That view is popular among the Chinese public.
“China is forced to do the reclamation,” Mr. Wu said in a recent interview in Beijing. “Because we feel insecure. If you look into the security situation, the United States enhanced the defense cooperation with the Philippines, and that could last for 10 years.”“China is forced to do the reclamation,” Mr. Wu said in a recent interview in Beijing. “Because we feel insecure. If you look into the security situation, the United States enhanced the defense cooperation with the Philippines, and that could last for 10 years.”
The United States was also involved in strengthening Japan’s new military rules that allow more robust joint patrols with Japan in the South China Sea, presenting another challenge to China, he said.The United States was also involved in strengthening Japan’s new military rules that allow more robust joint patrols with Japan in the South China Sea, presenting another challenge to China, he said.
But Mr. Wu also expressed concern about the impact building the islands could have relations between China and the United States. It was unlikely, he said, that China would declare an air defense “identification zone” over the South China Sea as it had done over the East China Sea in 2013. Such a zone provides an early warning system to assist a country in detecting incursions in its sovereign airspace. But Mr. Wu also expressed concern about the impact building the islands could have relations between China and the United States. It was very unlikely, he said, that China would declare an air defense “identification zone” over the South China Sea as it had done over the East China Sea in 2013. Such a zone provides an early warning system to assist a country in detecting incursions in its sovereign airspace.
United States military analysts, however, have said they believe that China’s militarization of Fiery Cross Reef was aimed at establishing an air defense zone as soon as possible.United States military analysts, however, have said they believe that China’s militarization of Fiery Cross Reef was aimed at establishing an air defense zone as soon as possible.