The amount of military facilities China builds on islands in the South China Sea depends on the level of threat it faces although China does not seek militarisation, the navy chief told his U.S. counterpart on Wednesday.
This month, Beijing landed three flights on Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly archipelago, angering Vietnam and the Philippines and drawing criticism from the United States, which expressed deep concern that it will exacerbate tension in the region.Speaking on a teleconference with U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson, Chinese naval commander Wu Shengli said the landings were made to see whether the airport was up to civilian airline standards, the Defence Ministry said.This would better help China fulfil its international obligations and provide a service to the rest of the world, Wu added, although China has yet to give any indication that foreign airlines may be allowed to use the new airport.
