Washington CONDEMNS Beijing’s militarisation of South China Sea – ‘EXCESSIVE!’

As tensions continue to soar between the US and China, acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said China’s installation of surface in the waters to air missiles was “overkill”. He also called China’s actions over the disputed area “excessive” at a fence forum in Singapore. The US and China have locked horns over the waters, which Beijing is dangerously territorial over.

China has announced plans to build land in the South China Sea to host missiles capable of defending the waters.

China claims the huge stretch of water almost in its entirety and has been known to not take too kindly to foreign naval action in the area, especially by the US and allies such as Australia.

A number of other incidents involving lasers and the Chinese military have been reported as far away as Djibouti, where the warring US and China both have bases.

Last year, the US were left furious at China and alleged lasers had been aimed at aircraft that resulted in minor injuries to two of its pilots.

This claim surfaced again days ago, when it was alleged Australian pilots were targeted by the same devices.

China has since denied both claims.

Euan Graham of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, who was aboard a warship from which the aircraft were operating, made the claims when writing for The Strategist blog.

Mr Graham told CNN he did not actually witness the events, but had been told by Australian pilots they were targeted several times by commercial lasers during missions over the South China Sea.

He had been aboard the HMAS Canberra, a helicopter landing dock belonging to the Royal Australian Navy, as it operated in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean during a three-month mission that ended this week.

Whilst at sea, fishermen have been known to use lasers to warn other vessels from getting too close to them.

But Mr Graham said: ”That makes sense for collision of vessels, but obviously there is no direct threat from aircraft to vessels in the South China Sea.

“The maritime militia is, I think, not beyond argument as a tactic which is employed deliberately.”

China’s Defence Minister Wu Qian has reacted furiously to the accusations, insisting claims lasers apparently came from Chinese fishing boats is “not consistent with the facts”.

source: express.co.uk