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Friday, March 29, 2024

DFA to confirm China missiles

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THE Department of Foreign Affairs said it has yet to confirm that China would deploy radar and missile systems in reefs it claimed in the South China Sea to avoid escalating tensions in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The DFA, however, declined to comment further on the statement of  US military commander for Asia  Admiral Samuel Locklear who described as “aggressive” the land reclamation and construction projects China has been conducting at eight military outposts in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Secretary Albert del Rosario said he would seek clarification from United States officials on a plan by Washington to deploy more air and naval assets to the Asia Pacific region.

Del Rosario wants to find out more details on this when he travels to Washington and to find out more about what these plans involved.

“We welcome this but we have not talked about to what extent this would happen,” the DFA chief said.

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Del Rosario said Manila and Washington have not been engaged in discussion over this as it is the first time that it has heard of such plan.

The Philippines is seeking more “substantive” support from its long-time security ally United States on how to counter China’s rapid expansion in the South China Sea.

China’s rapid reclamation around seven reefs in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea has alarmed claimants, including the Philippines and Vietnam, and drawn growing criticism from US government officials and the military.

Locklear said that the work in the disputed areas  involved “fairly massive” reclamation in the Spratly archipelago and upgrades to facilities in the Paracel Islands.

The building in the Spratlys included better berthing space for ships, as well as what was presumed to be an airfield on the Fiery Cross Reef, Locklear, head of the US Pacific Command, said in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee.

It would allow China to deploy more patrol ships in the area and to base and resupply them, he said.

“It allows them to exert basically greater influence over what’s now a contested area. Expanded land features down there also could eventually lead to the deployment of things such as long-range radars, military, and advanced missile systems,” he said.

“And it might be a platform if they ever wanted to establish an air defense zone.”

Western and Asian naval officials have expressed fears that China could also try to limit sea navigation once the reclaimed islands are fully established.

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