Report: China’s artificial islands now weaponized

MANILA, Philippines - China’s artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea are now heavily fortified, according to Washington-based think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). 

The Department of National Defense (DND), raising concerns over this latest security development in the South China Sea and West Philipine Sea, is verifying the report.

Earlier, the commander of the United States Pacific Command (PACOM), Navy Admiral Harry Harris Jr., said the US is ready to confront China should the latter insist on enforcing its claims to most of the South China Sea.

Without describing PACOM’s own security monitoring over the disputed region, Harris said China continues to act in an “aggressive” manner in the South China Sea, to which he said the US stands ready to respond.

“We will not allow a shared domain to be closed down unilaterally no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea,” Harris, in a recent published report, declared. 

Latest surveillance photos released by the AMTI of the Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) showed that aside from heavily anti-aircraft guns, Beijing has already installed what look like Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS) in all its seven artificial islands.

“China appears to have built significant point-defense capabilities, in the form of large anti-aircraft guns and probable CIWS, at each of its outposts in the Spratly islands,” AMTI said in a report published last Tuesday.

AMTI said it began tracking down the construction of identical hexagon-shaped structures at Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef, Mischief  (Panganiban) Reef and Subi (Zamora) Reefs in June and July over the artificial islands. It added Beijing had also installed fortifications on its smaller reclaimed islets over Gaven (Burgos) Reef, Hughes (Kennan) Reef, Johnson (Mabini) Reef and Cuarteron (Calderon) Reef.

Zamora Reef is now a bustling artificial island just 12 nautical miles from the Philippines’ occupied Pag-asa Island.

The artificial island also has a runway capable of accommodating wide-bodied aircraft as well as safe harbors.

AMTI reported that only one of the four structures seems to have its point defenses already installed, while the others sport empty spaces waiting for guns. 

“These gun and probable CIWS emplacements show that Beijing is serious about defense of its artificial islands in case of an armed contingency in the South China Sea,” AMTI said.

It added that these emplacements are perceived to serve as the last line of defense against cruise missiles launched by the US or others against these soon-to-be operational air bases.

Kagitingan Reef, while outside the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, is within the Philippine-declared Kalayaan Island Group. The artificial island has a 3,000-meter long airfield, gun emplacements and two safe harbors. 

“Construction of all four structures has been completed at Fiery Cross Reef, where covers have been placed over the point defenses on the central hexagonal tower and two in front of it. But the size of the platforms (which matches those at four small artificial islands) and covers suggests they boast systems similar to those at Gaven, Hughes, Johnson and Cuarteron Reefs,” AMTI reported.

The Chinese-reclaimed Mischief Reef is within the country’s EEZ and is close to mainland Palawan. Two of the four structures being built there have been completed, with covers placed over the systems installed, the report said. 

AMTI added that two other structures are still being finished at Mischief Reef, with disturbed soil showing where the three buried chambers were placed.  

“All three platforms at the fourth structure are empty, but it is clear from the spaces left empty on the platforms that the systems to be installed on the front two will be smaller than the one placed at the central platform. This is consistent with the pattern of larger anti-aircraft guns and probable CIWS seen on the smaller islets.”

Despite US’ strong warning

The United States has sent a strong warning that it was ready to confront China on the South China Sea if Beijing continues to take actions detrimental to regional stability and building military defense structures on artificial islands.

But the Chinese government described the situation in the disputed waters as “stabilized and improving.”

Admiral Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, issued China a strong warning on Wednesday in Sydney that the US was “ready to confront” China should it continue its aggressive course in the South China Sea.

But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said China’s position on the South China Sea issue is very clear and is not subject to change. 

“At present, thanks to the concerted efforts of China and relevant countries in the South China Sea, the situation in the South China Sea has been stabilized and is improving,” Geng said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said the return of Filipino fishermen to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal to fish is an indication that President Duterte’s approach toward restoring trust between the Philippines and China will work.

He noted that the President swiftly embarked on restoring ties between the Philippines and China by pursuing confidence-building measures through sound diplomacy while ensuring – “without compromising” the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) rights – that bilateral engagements at the proper time within the framework of the arbitral ruling can be facilitated peacefully.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry official said China hopes that “the US can stick to its pledge of not taking sides on sovereign disputes over the South China Sea, respect regional countries’ efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and contribute more to that end.”

The US Department of State said it is for the Chinese government to explain what the new satellite images mean or do not mean.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the US routinely raises privately this issue with China.