By Shannon Tiezzi
For the first time, China’s Foreign Ministry went into detail on the purpose of land reclamation in the South China Sea.
For the first time, China’s Foreign Ministry has explained in detail the purpose and rationale for large-scale land reclamation activities taking place in disputed areas of the South China Sea. China’s dredging and construction activities have caused fellow disputants, as well as the U.S., to criticize China for raising tensions by seeking to change the status quo.
China’s typical response when asked about the South China Sea is terse and tends to shut off, rather than invite, further discussion. For example, when Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying was asked about China’s construction activities in the Spratly Islands on March 3, her response (in its entirety) was as follows:
China holds a clear and consistent stance on the South China Sea issue. China’s normal construction activities on our own islands and in our own waters are lawful, reasonable and justifiable. We hope that relevant party can take a calm view on this.
There’s really nothing to this other than a string of adjectives outlining China’s position. In essence, China is telling the world: our land reclamation is “normal,” “lawful,” “reasonable,” and “justifiable” – but take our word for it, as we’re not going to explain any further. It’s hard to argue something is “justifiable” if you don’t take the time to actually justify it.
Read the full story at The Diplomat