China announces plans for construction on contested islands in South China Sea

In a move sure to stoke tensions in East Asia, China has announced plans to construct lighthouses on a number of islands and reefs in the South China Sea claimed by other nations.

Reuters reports that the lighthouses will be built on North Reef, Antelope Reef, Drummond Island, South Sand, and Pyramid Rock. A survey of the islands began July 27 and was concluded August 4. The islands are claimed variously by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Drummond Island and Pyramid Rock are part of the contested, but Chinese controlled Paracel Islands. Vietnam and Taiwan have also laid claim to the Paracels.

Reuters says that it was not immediately clear if the other island formations were claimed by other nations.

The announcement goes against a recent request by the United States that countries in the area with competing claims refrain from worsening tensions by building structures or extracting natural resources from the South China Sea. China rejected that proposal although the Philippines agreed to it.

China justified the construction of the lighthouses by saying that current nautical maps and charts around the five islands are not adequate enough to protect ships operating in waters nearby. China argued that the building of the lighthouses will help to make navigation around the islands easier and safer.

The South China Sea is coveted by nations in the area because of its tremendous amount of natural resources. It is home to some of the world's largest fisheries. It is also thought that billions of dollars of oil and natural gas are locked away in deposits beneath the ocean floor.

Annually, $5 trillion worth of trade passes through the region. Any escalation of tensions in the region that would affect that trade would have devastating economic consequences felt around the world.