Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says she will ask the Chinese Government how it intends to use newly reclaimed islands in the South China Sea.
Bishop is due to fly to Beijing Tuesday night for a meeting with China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi.
China has carried out construction and reclamation work in the South China Sea and has built a number of islands in international waters.
“Given that President Xi has said that China does not intend to militarize the islands, then of course we ask what the construction work on the islands will be used for,” Bishop told reporters in Tokyo, where she met Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
“In the past, Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said they will be public goods and I’m intending to ask how other nations could access these public goods. “Depending upon the answer he gives, we will look at the situation.(Asia Times)
Link: http://atimes.com/2016/02/australia-to-question-chinas-island-reclamations-in-s-china-sea/
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