Satellite image shows the Yongshu reef of the Nansha Islands after a land reclamation project in south China. Photo: Xinhua

 
Some countries outside of the South China Sea region are playing up China's test flights to the newly built airport at Yongshu reef of Nansha Islands and heightening tensions, observers said.

Test flights were used by some countries as an excuse to complicate the situation in the South China Sea, Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for the South China Sea, told the Global Times Tuesday.

The Chinese government conducted a test flight on Saturday to the newly-built airport on the Yongshu reef of China's Nansha Islands with a civilian aircraft in order to test whether or not the facilities on it meet the standards for civil aviation, which sparked criticism from countries in and out of the region, including Vietnam, the Philippines, the US and Japan.

China's foreign ministry said the US should avoid creating regional tensions.

"The US should say things conducive to regional peace and stability in a responsible, objective and just manner, rather than making remarks that mislead the public and disrupt regional peace and stability," Hua Chunying, foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Hua's remarks come after Senator John McCain, the chairman of the influential US Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the Obama administration for delaying further "freedom of navigation" patrols within 12 nautical miles of China's artificial islands.

"The test flight shows China's sovereignty over the South China Sea. It's unfair for the US and its allies to point fingers at China's justifiable actions on its own territory," Gu Xiaosong, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Regional reaction

Some countries outside the region have been meddling in the South China Sea disputes and profiting from the situation, Gu said.

Aside from warnings from the US and Japan, India has set up a Data Reception and Tracking and Telemetry Station in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, while the India Space Research Organization (ISRO) will soon be activated and will be linked with another station in Biakin, Indonesia, which will prove to be an important strategic asset for India in the region, The Economist Times, an India-based newspaper, reported on Monday.

The news comes on the heels of the Chinese foreign ministry's response to Vietnam's protest, which clearly indicates India's attempt to complicate the regional dispute, Gu said.

"India has no territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. It wants to stir up trouble in the region to serve its own ends, which is to counterbalance China's influence," Gu said.

Pooja Jhunjhunwala, a US State Department spokeswoman, said the US is concerned that these test flights have "exacerbated tensions and are inconsistent with the region's commitments to exercise restraint from actions that could complicate or escalate disputes," the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

China has been exercising great restraint in the disputes over the Nansha Islands, so the US should stop uttering groundless accusations and pay more attention to its allies' ulterior motives in the region, Gu said.

"The region may consider exacerbating tensions if the US and its allies continue being hostile to China's legitimate right to protect its own territory and efforts to promote regional security," Chen added.

Vietnam filed a diplomatic protest on Saturday, while Philippine Foreign Ministry spokesman Charles Jose said Manila was planning to do the same, Reuters reported Monday.

"The Philippines insists that the US project its military power in the region, while Vietnam dragged India into its oil business in the South China Sea," Gu said.

"The two countries have no basis to accuse China of escalating the situation, since they are the ones which ignored China's proposition of regional cooperation and complicated the situation," Chen added.

Civilian use

Chinese authorities have repeatedly stressed that the new islands would be for civilian use, such as coast guard activity and fishing research.

Chinese President Xi Jinping clarified during his state visit to the US in October  that relevant construction activities China is undertaking on the Nansha Islands do not target or impact other countries, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Moreover, China does not intend to militarize the islands, the report added.

"China has no reason to flex its military muscles in the region, since its military is strong enough to protect its own territory. Civilian use of the islands shows China's desire to deepen cooperation with other countries and promote regional stability," Chen said.

"The establishment of the airport in Yongshu reef will significantly promote China's ability to exploit the South China Sea. Though it might be hard for some countries to accept it, they should expect more civilian flights to the islands," Gu said.