VietNamNet Bridge - From "civil arms" such as fishing boats, marine surveillance vessels and giant oil rigs to occupying rocks and turning them into artificial islands to serve “civil purpuses”, China has revealed the plot of militarization in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).

Fishing boats. China has used tens of thousand fishing boats to confirm its presence in different disputed waters.

Let's review the weapons deployed by China in the East Sea in recent years.

Fishing boats. China has used tens of thousand fishing boats to confirm its presence in different disputed waters.

Marine surveillance vessels: China is prone to use non-military or paramilitary vessels (like marine surveillance vessels) to harass foreign vessels operating in the exclusive economic zone or the disputed waters.

Most recently, in January, China completed the marine police vessel 3901, which is three times bigger than the American patrol ships. It plans to send this vessel to the East Sea. The 3901 vessel has a helipad and hangar which is capable of serving heavy transport helicopters - the vehicle that can transport many people and equipment quickly.

Giant oil rigs: China has made many deep-water drilling rigs of huge size and has taken them to the East Sea, such as the HD981. These rigs are called "aircraft carriers" because of their huge size and professional design in response to strong waves. They are also considered "mobile territories" that China attempted to take to the East Sea to monopolize the region.

People: The South China Morning Post recently cited the Chinese army newspaper as saying that Chinese soldiers accounted for 3/4 of the people on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands of Vietnam, which is illegally occupied by Beijing.

In the so-called Sansha City (including Woody Island), which China unilaterally formed, there were only about 1,000 people in 2013, but the number has increased significantly in the last three years.

Here, Beijing has built many military and administrative works such as hospitals, schools, banks, research institutes ... The military mobilization (fighter aircraft, missiles) in the East Sea was said to legally protect its residents.

Blatant militarization

Last May, the Wall Street Journal reported that satellite images of the US showed that China had taken a number of weapon systems (artillery) to one of the artificial islands that this country has illegally built in the East Sea.

According to information on the Global Geopolitics dated August 29th 2015, China deployed many kinds of submarines in the East Sea, typically three Type 093G submarines.

In mid-February Fox News reported that China had launched surface-to-air missile platforms on Phu Lam (Woody) Island. The information was then confirmed by US defense officials; that the missile system is HQ-9, similarto Russia’s S-300 with a range of about 200km; it can threaten any military or civil aircraft operating in this range.

Many international military sites then offered evidence that Beijing blatantly deployed fighters J-11 and HJ-7 on Woody Island.

Stratfor provided many photographs showing that Woody Island has become a "military fortress" with the runway to help quickly mobilize warplanes; hangars; stockpile of explosives and ammunition.

At the SpratlyIslands, according to satellite images of the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), China has been building military radar systems of high frequency, telecommunication towers and observatory stations on some reefs that they are occupying illegally.

The radar system can detect aircraft equipped with US stealth technology as B2 bombers, F-22 Raptor and F-35. It is considered to have more impact on the military balance in the East Sea compared with the HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system that China deployed on Woody island.

Sunnylands and China’s activities in the East Sea

China’s illegal island building in East Sea damages environment

Thach Thao