The commander of all US Indo-Pacific forces, Admiral John Aquilino, has accused China of “fully militarizing three features in the South China Sea,” Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs. He did so while on board a US surveillance plane flying near some of the Chinese-occupied features. He added, “I think over the past 20 years we’ve witnessed the largest [Chinese] military buildup since World War II,” and asserted that the buildup “is destabilizing to the region.” He elaborated that China had deployed “anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and arming equipment and fighter jets.” With an eye to the future, he warned that “they can fly fighters, bombers, plus all these offensive capabilities of missile systems…. They threaten all nations who operate in the vicinity and all the international sea and airspace.” Aquilino also raised the old canard that China had violated President Xi Jinping’s pledge not to militarize the features.

Valencia, M. (2022, March 31). US-China debate over militarization of South China Sea. Daily Guardian, p. 4.