Beijing to host meeting with Asean defence ministers over South China Sea security and claims
International meetings seen as attempt to build China's military image ahead of any US move to challenge controversial reclamation projects
As expectations grow that the US Navy will directly challenge Beijing's South China Sea claims, China is engaging in some serious image-building for its own military by hosting two international security forums this week.
The events kick off today with an informal meeting of defence ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) - four of which exercise claims to various islands and surrounding waters in the South China Sea that clash with Beijing's own. It is the first time China has hosted such a meeting.
That will be followed by the Xiangshan Forum, at which analysts, military leaders and others from around the world will address Asian-Pacific security, maritime issues and anti-terrorism.
"China wants to use these sorts of forums to promote China's views, explain its policies and improve its security image," said regional security expert Li Mingjiang of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
Since 2013, China has accelerated the construction of new islands atop reefs and atolls in the South China Sea and is adding buildings and airstrips in apparent attempts to boost its sovereignty claims to the territory.
Unnamed Pentagon officials said last week that the US Navy may soon receive approval to sail a ship inside the 12-nautical mile (21km) territorial limit surrounding China's man-made islands, reported the Navy Times, which is closely affiliated with the US Navy. The Philippines, an Asean member, expressed support this week for such a move.