Pentagon 'Closely' Watches Beijing's Actions in South China Sea

The United States carefully oversees the developments in the South China Sea after reports on China deploying missile systems to the Paracel Islands, US Department of Defense spokesman Mark Wright said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, media reported that Beijing deployed two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers and a radar system to the largest island of the disputed Paracel Islands chain in the South China Sea earlier in February.

"While I cannot comment on matters related to intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely," Wright told RIA Novosti.

The spokesman added that Washington continued to call on all claimants to halt land reclamation, construction, and militarization of features in the South China Sea.