Impasse over China’s island-building shows no sign of easing

China vigorously defended its South China Sea land reclamation projects in the face of persistent criticism from U.S. leaders at an international security summit Saturday as the standoff in the Asia-Pacific region shows few signs of abating. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other officials sharply condemned the artificial island-building, but provided no details on what steps the U.S. may take to press China into diplomatic talks. Carter said China’s land reclamation was out of step with international rules, and that turning underwater land into airfields would not expand its sovereignty.

[The U.S. is] making absurd remarks about China’s long-established sovereignty and rights, stirring up trouble and slinging accusations regarding China’s appropriate and rational construction activities on its islands.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying

Chinese officials, in public statements and a private meeting, defended the construction and slammed the U.S. for interfering. On Saturday, the United States called for an immediate end to China’s intensifying reclamation works in the South China Sea and vowed to continue sending military aircraft and ships to the tense region.

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