The flight at Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands “adds to tension and uncertainties in the region”, Charles Jose, a spokesman for Philippines’ department of foreign affairs, said on Monday.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Saturday that the flight is to test whether the airfield facilities can meet civil aviation standards. In Hanoi, the foreign ministry said it has handed a protest note to China’s embassy and asked Beijing not to repeat the action.
China has rejected a protest from Vietnam over a flight test it has conducted on a new airstrip on a man-made reef in the South China Sea, saying it is part of China’s territory.
The landing was not a surprise, as China has been building runways on the artificial islands for over a year. Kirby also urges the claimants to focus instead on reaching a compromise on acceptable behavior in disputed areas. “That’s the fear, that China will be able to take control of the South China Sea, and it will affect the freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight [and the] unimpeded flow of commerce”.
Manila filed a historic arbitration case against China before a United Nations tribunal, questioning Beijing’s massive reclamation in the South China Sea, including on Fiery Cross Reef.
In October, the US deployed a guided missile destroyer near a different reef to challenge Beijing’s claim of sovereignty in the waters around the artificial islands. The Chinese defence ministry branded the action as a “serious military provocation” and warned that it would take “all necessary measures” to protect China’s sovereignty.
Senior leaders from China and Vietnam have repeatedly tried to ease tensions over the South China Sea, which have pushed Hanoi to seek closer economic and political ties with the US. He went on to claim that China had breached an agreement between the two countries on the resolution of maritime disputes in the region.
Satellite photos have shown that China has been built three new airfields on reclaimed land in the Spratlys, each capable of hosting military aircraft including large bombers. Nansha Islands is the Chinese name of Spratly’s.
Public opinion on China has deteriorated in Vietnam since Beijing began drilling for oil in the Paracel Islands in May 2014.
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Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which $5 trillion in annual trade passes.
