Oh the Lies of China

     

China is still carrying out land reclamation in contested waters of the South China Sea this month, more than four weeks after saying it had stopped such activity, a US expert said on Tuesday, citing recent satellite images.

The evidence of continued dredging in the Spratly archipelago could complicate a visit to the United States by Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, when US concerns about China's assertive pursuit of territorial claims in Asia are expected to be high on the agenda.

Bonnie Glaser, of Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said images taken in early September showed dredging activity at both Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in Spratlys.

The dredgers at Subi could be seen pumping sediment on to areas bordered by recently built sea walls and widening the channel for ships to enter waters enclosed by the reef.

At Mischief Reef (known as Panganiban Reef in the Philippines and which China refers to as Meiji Jiao), a dredger was expanding a channel to enable easier access for ships, possibly for future use as a naval base, Glaser said.

On Aug. 5, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing had halted land reclamation in the South China Sea.

Glaser said China's activity appeared to be focused on construction for military use. -end-