China beefs up 'open seas protection' as it reveals construction of lighthouses in disputed South Ch...

1. China beefs up ‘open seas protection’ as it reveals
construction of lighthouses in disputed South China ...
China beefs up 'open seas protection' as it reveals construction of lighthouses in disputed South
China Sea | South China Morning Post
China has unveiled a more assertive military strategy with a focus on 'complicated threats and
challenges in the oceans' on the same day it confirmed the construction of two lighthouses on reefs
in the disputed Spratly Islands.
The pledge to increase its navy's duties from offshore defence to "open seas protection" comes in a
white paper released as China is embroiled in a diplomatic spat with the United States over its
territorial claims in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, its Ministry of Transport hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of two
multi-functional lighthouses on Huayang Reef and Chigua Reef, "so as to improve the navigation
safety in the South China Sea".
US Vice President Joe Biden said in a speech last week that China's activities in the area, including
building artificial islands in waters it lays claim to, are adding to tensions in the region and
increasing the risk of conflict.
Senior Colonel Wang Jin told a press conference that the shift in naval strategy was to meet the
needs of the times.
"China is faced with complicated threats and challenges in the oceans and needs a navy that can
guard its sovereignty and perform multifaceted military missions," Wang said.
Areas of the South China Sea are claimed by various countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam
and Brunei.
The white paper highlights four critical security domains, including the ocean, outer space,
cyberspace and nuclear weapons.
"The PLA Navy will gradually shift its focus from the sole strategy of offshore waters defence to the
combined one of offshore waters defense and open seas protection, the state-run news agency
Xinhua reported.
The military's overall strategy will be "active defence", Xinhua said.
"We will not attack unless we are attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked," it quoted
the white paper as saying.
The Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said during the press conference that China's
reclamation works in the South China Sea have been subject to media hype recently "only because a
certain country sent reconnaissance aircraft to the region more frequently", adding that some people
reported the issue "deliberately and repeatedly".
"[We] do not rule out the possibility that a certain country is looking for excuses for their further

2. actions [in the regions]," said Yang, adding that PLA's response to the recent reconnaissance flights
was "necessary, lawful, and professional".
"In terms of sovereign, the constructions on Nansha Island (The Spratly Islands) are no different
from any other construction projects across the country," Yang told the reporters.