BEIJING: China said on Wednesday (Apr 23) it will further build up more than 11,000 islands it calls its own, so as to better govern them, in a long-term campaign to strengthen maritime power, secure more natural resources, and reinforce territorial claims.
China has built artificial islands, airstrips, and military facilities during extensive land reclamation efforts over the years in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Islands are a strategic frontier and key to unlocking the development of deep-ocean resources, the People’s Daily, owned by the party, said in an article attributed to the party leadership at China’s natural resources ministry.
“Major countries around the world are vying to shift their development focus to the ocean,” it added, without identifying any countries.
It urged greater efforts to protect the islands China claims, by upgrading infrastructure and boosting connectivity and access.
China is spending billions of dollars on its navy, from nuclear-powered submarines to aircraft carriers as it pursues a goal of becoming a “great maritime power” dating from 2012, when Xi Jinping became leader of the ruling Communist Party.
Last September, Beijing declared a national nature reserve at the disputed Scarborough Shoal to assert its claim to the atoll, a long-time flashpoint with the Philippines.
“The facilities on its artificial island bases have allowed Chinese law enforcement, naval, and militia vessels to spend every day of the year patrolling the waters of its neighbours up to 1,000 nautical miles from the Chinese coastline,” said Gregory Poling of the CSIS think tank.
