MANILA, Philippines - The chief of the United States Pacific Command said the reefs claimed by China in the South China Sea are “clearly military in nature” and “the US would use military force to defend its interests and allies against any threats from the is- lands,” Atlantic Media’s publication Defense One reported.
Adm. Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, said the reefs claimed by China have vastly expanded and looked like combat bases.
“They are building ports that are deep enough to host war- ships and they’re building a 10,000- foot runway at Fiery Cross Reef,” Defense One quoted Harris as saying during the Aspen Security Forum, a gathering of top national security
leaders of the US. “A 10,000-foot runaway is large enough to take a B-52, almost large enough for the Space Shuttle, and 3,000 feet longer than you need to take off a 747. So, there’s no small airplane that re- quires a runway of that length. They’re building rebutted aircraft hangars at some of the facilities there that are clearly de- signed, in my view, to host tactical fighter aircraft,” he
added. Harris noted that an increased capability such as that in the disputed area is “a cause of concern.” – With Alexis Romero