China today told other countries not to "deliberately stir up trouble" in the disputed South China Sea, while insisting it has no intention of militarizing the strategically vital area even though it has increased construction activities there.
Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin reiterated China's position that its construction of artificial islands in the sea was designed to "provide public service" to the region by helping ships and fishermen and disaster relief efforts.
This also includes military facilities to protect the islands and reefs, which are located far from mainland China, he said.
Since 2013, China has accelerated the creation of new outposts by piling sand atop reefs and atolls, and then adding buildings, ports and airstrips big enough to handle bombers and fighter jets - activities seen as an attempt to change the territorial status quo by changing the geography.
"Oneshould never link the military facilities with efforts to militarize the South China Sea," Liu said. "This is afalse argument. It is a consistent Chinese position to firmly oppose the militarization of the South China Sea."
Other countries "should not deliberately stir up trouble but contribute to the peace and stability of the region," he said.
Although Liu's statement broke no new ground - China has said this in various ways before the setting for his remarks was significant: an Asian summit also attended by President Barack Obama, whose administration has backed the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries who have long-standing disputes with China in the South China Sea.
Liu's comments also serve to send a notice to China's rivals in the region that it will not back down from its position on the resource-rich sea, irrespective of pressure from the United States.
While it opposes any US military incursion, China sees its own military presence there as justifiable.
Liu is at the summit accompanying Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
At a separate news conference, Obama said the issue was a "key topic" at the summit of 18 countries that included China, as well as at a separate summit he had with leaders of 10 Southeast Asian countries.
"Many leaders spoke about the need to uphold international principles, including the freedom of navigation, and overflight and the peaceful resolution of disputes," Obama said.
"My fellow leaders from Japan, Australia and the Philippines have reaffirmed that our treaty alliances remained the foundation of regional security. The United States is boosting our support for the Philippines maritime capabilities and those of our regional partners," Obama said.
(Reopens FGN15 )
The daily quotedanalysts as saying that the maritime nuclear power platforms will play an important role in China's long-term South China Sea strategy.
Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times yesterday that the platforms could provide reliable power for lighthouses, seawater desalination, rescue and relief equipment, defensive weapons and airports and harbours on islands in the SCS.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, and is building islands on reefs to bolster its claims. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the waters.
China has witnessed the fastest growth innuclearpower worldwide.
According to China's first white paper onnuclearemergency preparedness issued in January, the Chinese mainland had 27 nuclearpower generating units in operation as of the end of October 2015, with a total installed capacity of 25.5 gigawatts (GW), while another 25 units with a total installed capacity of 27.51 GW were under construction.
The world's second largest economy plans to raise its installednuclearpower capacity to 58 GW with an additional 30 GW under construction by 2020 and build itself into a strongnuclearpower country by 2030.
