China Inaugurates 2 New Lighthouses in South China Sea
Just days after a recent showdown between the Chinese and US navies in the South China Sea, China started construction on two new lighthouses in the contested territory.
Reuters reports that the lighthouse openings were televised on state television. The ostensible purpose of the lighthouses is to help disaster relief, search and rescue, and environmental protection. The Chinese also say the lighthouses are important to protect commercial vessels and international shipping.
The United States and other nations in the vicinity of the South China Sea such as Vietnam and the Philippines view the lighthouses as another example of aggressive Chinese posturing and land claims.
Both the United States and the Philippines have called for a halt to construction in the South China Sea, where Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Vietnam also have claims.
China has recently built a number of artificial islands from reefs and atolls in the South China Sea. The largest of these supports a modern radar facility and an airstrip long enough to accommodate every craft in the Chinese Air Force.
The other countries bordering the South China Sea view the Chinese construction as illegitimate because the islands in question are roughly 600 miles from the Chinese mainland. International law grants sovereignty over waters and islands that extend roughly 200 miles from a country's mainland.
Vietnam is also building islands in the area, in an effort to keep pace with their regional rival. Both nations fought a war in the 1970s and more recently traded blows when the Chinese explored for oil inside Vietnamese territorial waters.
Vietnam's construction has not proceeded as quickly as that of China's. The number of formations under construction by China also far surpasses that of Vietnam.
