- Sputnik International
Asia
Find top stories and features from Asia and the Pacific region. Keep updated on major political stories and analyses from Asia and the Pacific. All you want to know about China, Japan, North and South Korea, India and Pakistan, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Beijing May Invite Journalists to Disputed Islands in South China Sea

© AP Photo / Xinhua, Wang Cunfu, FileChinese fishing vessel sails by Fiery Cross Reef, background, also known as Yongshu Reef by the Chinese, of the Spratly Islands in South China Sea
Chinese fishing vessel sails by Fiery Cross Reef, background, also known as Yongshu Reef by the Chinese, of the Spratly Islands in South China Sea - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing will invite foreign journalists to the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea after the completion of construction works.

U.S. Navy ships are underway as part of a group sail with the John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG). Group sails provide an opportunity for crews to focus on teamwork, communication and hone skills Sailors need when executing the nation's maritime strategy - Sputnik International
US Naval Strike Group Defies China's Territorial Claims in Western Pacific
BEIJING (Sputnik) – Beijing may consider the possibility of access for foreign journalists to the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea after the completion of construction works, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.

The country has been in a dispute with several other nations over the Spratly Islands, known as Nansha Islands in China. They are a group of more than 750 islands and reefs, lying on important commercial shipping lanes and believed to hold significant oil and gas reserves. Beijing has been constructing artificial islands in the area, claiming sovereignty over the land and the 12-nautical-mile zone surrounding them.

"China is building the necessary civilian infrastructure and we will provide services to the international community. At the moment, we are at the construction stage. Once the construction is completed, and the necessary conditions are created, we will, of course, consider the possibility of inviting journalists, including foreign ones on these islands and reefs," he stated at an annual press conference.

Littoral combat ship USS conducts routine patrols in international waters of the South China Sea - Sputnik International
US Warship Sails Near Disputed Island in S China Sea Escalating Tensions
The Nansha Islands are part of China’s native land, the foreign minister stressed, adding that China had no intention to impose new territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Commenting on the military infrastructure located on the archipelago, Wang said China used the legitimate right to ensure its security.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала