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Beijing defends South China Sea reclamation|Politics|News|WantChinaTimes.com
Beijing defends South China Sea reclamation
China's construction of islands and reefs in the South China Sea is lawful and justified, as China is merely building facilities in its own yard, the country's foreign minister Wang Yi said Sunday.
Wang made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
The minister's response came in light of newly released satellite images, taken by a commercial satellite division of Airbus Group, of a first glimpse at the dramatic pace of China's expansion of artificial island construction on disputed South China Sea reefs, according to the Wall Street Journal. The spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry of Vietnam, another claimant of the Spratly islands where the expansion is taking place, has already voiced Vietnam's "strong protests" over the construction.
China has been undertaking various development activities in the South China Sea to fortify its claims over key territory without the use of military force. Just last year, Vietnam and China came to blows over a Chinese state-owned oil rig off the contested Paracel islands.
Other claimants of the disputed Spratly island chain are Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
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BEIJING—China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi defended China's efforts in reclaiming and developing land around reefs and islands in the South China Sea, saying the work was “necessary” and posed no threat to other nations.
“This construction does not target or affect anyone,” Wang Yi said at a news conference Sunday on the sidelines of an annual meeting of parliament.
“We are not like some countries who engage in illegal construction in another person’s house, and we do not accept criticism from others when we are merely building facilities in our own yard. We have every right to do things that are lawful and justified.”
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Beijing defends South China Sea reclamation
- Xinhua and Staff Reporter
- 2015-03-08
- 16:50 (GMT+8)
China's construction of islands and reefs in the South China Sea is lawful and justified, as China is merely building facilities in its own yard, the country's foreign minister Wang Yi said Sunday.
Wang made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
The minister's response came in light of newly released satellite images, taken by a commercial satellite division of Airbus Group, of a first glimpse at the dramatic pace of China's expansion of artificial island construction on disputed South China Sea reefs, according to the Wall Street Journal. The spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry of Vietnam, another claimant of the Spratly islands where the expansion is taking place, has already voiced Vietnam's "strong protests" over the construction.
China has been undertaking various development activities in the South China Sea to fortify its claims over key territory without the use of military force. Just last year, Vietnam and China came to blows over a Chinese state-owned oil rig off the contested Paracel islands.
Other claimants of the disputed Spratly island chain are Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
------------------------------------------------
BEIJING—China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi defended China's efforts in reclaiming and developing land around reefs and islands in the South China Sea, saying the work was “necessary” and posed no threat to other nations.
“This construction does not target or affect anyone,” Wang Yi said at a news conference Sunday on the sidelines of an annual meeting of parliament.
“We are not like some countries who engage in illegal construction in another person’s house, and we do not accept criticism from others when we are merely building facilities in our own yard. We have every right to do things that are lawful and justified.”
.
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