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Australia angry over China’s military move

Australia has joined the United States and other nations in opposing China’s large-scale land reclamation in the South China Sea.

Mr Andrews told a security conference in Singapore that Australia was concerned about any military build-up on the artificial islands in the area believed to be home to oil and gas reserves.

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He stressed the need for regional cooperation over territorial matters and issued a warning to China about its activities in the region.

“Australia has made clear its opposition to any coercive or unilateral actions to change the status quo in the South or East China Sea,” he said.

“This includes any large-scale land reclamation activity by claimants in the South China Sea, and we are particularly concerned at the prospect of militarisation of artificial structures.

“Australia believes that all regional partners represented here have an enduring interest in maintaining safe and stable maritime trade and air passage.

“We therefore remain concerned by any developments in the South and East China Sea which raise tensions in the region.”

The Defence Minister’s comments came a day after US defence secretary Ash Carter told the conference that China’s behaviour was out of step with international norms.

Mr Andrews said disputes must be resolved peacefully.

“Australia urges all parties to exercise restraint, halt reclamation activities, refrain from provocative actions and take steps to ease tensions, because when tensions are high the risk of miscalculation resulting in conflict is very real,” he said.

“As with Newton’s principles, aspects of international security are often characterised by an action and a corresponding counter reaction.”

China rejects criticism of sea reclamations

But a top Chinese military official told the conference its actions were peaceful and mostly aimed at fulfilling maritime, scientific and disaster prevention obligations.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the general staff department in the People’s Liberation Army, said the situation was on the whole peaceful and stable, and “there has never been an issue with the freedom of navigation”.

“China has carried out construction on some islands and reefs in the South China Sea mainly for the purpose of improving the functions of the relevant islands and reefs and the working and living conditions of personnel stationed there,” he said.

“Apart from meeting the necessary defence needs, it is more geared to better perform China’s international responsibilities and obligations regarding maritime search and rescue, disaster prevention and relief, maritime scientific research, meteorological observation, environmental protection, safety of navigation, fishery production, services.”

China insists it has sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, a major global shipping route believed to be home to oil and gas reserves, but rival claimants accuse it of expansionism.

The US has acknowledged that other claimants have developed outposts of differing scope and degree, including Vietnam with 48, the Philippines with eight, Malaysia with five and Taiwan one.

But it said China had reclaimed more than 2,000 acres, more than all other claimants combined and only the past 18 months.

Beijing has accused Washington of carrying out provocative moves in the South China Sea.

The Chinese military last month ordered a US Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to leave an area above the disputed Spratly Islands but the American plane ignored the demand.

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