JUNE 17 (Reuters –CCTV) — China’s land reclamation project on part of islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands will be completed as planned in the upcoming days, an expert said Tuesday.
“China will complete land reclamation project as planned in the upcoming days,” said Wu Shicun, director of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. He emphasized it’s not because of international pressure.
Wu pointed out that apart from satisfying the need of necessary military defense, the main purpose of China’s construction activities is to meet various civilian demands and better perform China’s international obligations and responsibilities.
“As the biggest economy in East Asia and biggest country at the South China Sea, China has the obligations, responsibility and capability to provide better public security service in the Nansha areas such as maritime search and rescue, navigation safety, meteorological observation, marine environmental protection, as well as fishery production service. Once these facilities are in place, we will offer service to our fishermen, South China Sea coast countries, and other vessels in the area,” Wu added.
China, while firmly safeguarding its own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, will continue to dedicate herself to resolving relevant disputes with relevant states directly concerned in accordance with international law and through negotiation and consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts, Wu said.
“China’s commitment to the path of peace and development, its defense policy that is defensive in nature and its peripheral foreign policy of establishing good-neighborliness and partnership with neighbors remain unchanged,” Wu said.
China will work with the ASEAN member states to push forward actively the consultation on a “Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” within the framework of fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Wu said.
China will continue to uphold the freedom of navigation as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea, Wu added.
