New satellite images reveal China built “significant” defensive weapons on the South China Sea.
New Photographic evidence revealed that China built “significant” defensive weapons on a series of artificial islands in the South China Sea.
The satellite images were published by the US group revealed that China built anti-aircraft guns and missile defense systems on the seven islands.
In a recent news report of BBC, the ongoing satellite imagery has shown the installation of military equipment and longer runways were successfully installed in the island.
The images were released by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), that shows a series of hexagonal structures now in place on each of the seven islets.
Photo credits: BBC
AMTI revealed that Beijing created large anti-aircraft guns and close-in weapons systems (CIWS).
“These gun and probable CIWS emplacements show that Beijing is serious about defense of its artificial islands in case of an armed contingency in the South China Sea,” AMTI said.
“Among other things, they would be the last line of defense against cruise missiles launched by the United States or others against these soon-to-be-operational air bases,” it added.
The news caught the attention of the world as the images seemed to show aircraft hangars and defense weapons were being built on the island.
Photo credits: BBC
The dispute in the South China Sea become one of the global issues that have been brewing for years. As the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and China are all making competing claims in waters.
Despite an international tribunal in The Hague ruled that China has no legal basis to claim sovereignty over the ‘nine-dash line, backing a case brought by the Philippines.
China still claims almost all of the South China Sea, rejected the tribunal and called the ruling “ill-founded.”
Reports said China has not yet commented on the allegations about the new photographic evidence.