China is not the only one ‘militarising’ the South China Sea

Mark J. Valencia says it is unfair to blame Beijing for its defensive weapons systems in the Spratlys when the US and others are similarly provocative

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A Chinese H-6K bomber patrols the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Photo: Xinhua via AP

Published: 10:56am, 21 Dec 2016Updated: 6:34pm, 21 Dec 2016

The “revelation” by Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies that China has emplaced anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems on all seven of its occupied features in the Spratlys dominated the media headlines last week. As usual, US “experts” and media blamed China. Some even suggested its actions were a challenge to the US. But let’s take a balanced perspective.

Yes, China has installed defensive weapons systems on features it claims and occupies. Experts say this breaks President Xi Jinping’s ( 習近平 ) “pledge” not to militarise the features. Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the think tank, said as much. She has also written that “development of capabilities to deny American naval access to those waters in a conflict provides evidence of possible Chinese intentions to block freedom of navigation in specific contingencies”. This implies that China’s so-called militarisation of the features is a threat to freedom of navigation, a US security interest.

Others, like Michael Auslin, writing for CNN, have called for the US to take a “hard line” against China’s aggressive actions.

But Xi did not say China would “not militarise the islands”. According to the translation, he said “China does not intend to pursue militarisation”. The key words are “intend” and “militarisation”.

First, it may well have not intended to “militarise” the features. But when Vietnam and the US took certain military action, Beijing may have felt a need to respond to perceived threats to its forces and assets. To China, Vietnam’s deployment of long-range mobile rocket launchers on five features within striking distance of China’s occupied features and continued US freedom of navigation operations close to them constitute threats.

Moreover, China apparently does not consider defensive installations “militarisation”. Indeed, China has repeatedly said that the artificial islands it has constructed would be used for military defence.

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