China accuses US of militarizing South China Sea

China has slammed US military build-up in the South China Sea, saying it is Washington, and not Beijing, which is truly militarizing the disputed waters by conducting patrols there.

According to Press TV, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said on Friday that patrols by US military aircraft and navy vessels as well as its joint military drills with regional partners are behind “escalated tensions” in the South China Sea.

“That’s the real militarization of the South China Sea,” the Chinese official added.

Lei was reacting to similar accusations by the US and Taiwan against China, which criticized Beijing earlier this week for what is said to be the deployment of surface-to-air missiles to Yongxing Island, known as Woody by China’s rivals.

He further reaffirmed China’s sovereignty over Yongxin Islands and said, “There should not be double standards or multi-standards for demilitarization in the South China Sea, and the process requires joint efforts from countries in the region and beyond.”

On Thursday, US State Department Spokesman John Kirby accused China of militarizing the region by placing missiles on Yongxing Island, which is part of the Xisha archipelago, also known as Paracel.

ME