Earlier this week, The Associated Press (AP) reported Admiral John Aquilino, United States Indo-Pacific commander, as saying on Sunday that China had militarized at least three of the several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea (SCS). According to him, these islands are armed with antiship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens countries operating nearby. Aquilino claimed China's "hostile actions" were in stark contrast to its promise not to turn those islands into military bases. Such an accusation is not new. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin had refuted similar accusations before.

China paper defends buildup in SCS islands. (2022, March 24). The Manila Times, p. B8.