Australia Faces Mounting Pressure To Choose Sides In South China Sea Dispute

Australia may be forced to take sides amid increasing tensions in the South China Sea. China’s aggressive claims over Spratlys in the middle of the South China has caused alarm as the area has been transformed into an artificial island covered with sand and cement.

Satellite images taken in the middle of May showed an island about 3 kilometres long and up to 300 metres wide, reports the Australian Financial Review. China has managed to almost complete the construction of an airstrip, three cement plants and a harbour in just three months. The area has become a possible command-and-control hub for China in disputed waters. Beijing’s land reclamation projects have alarmed not only its rival countries in the territory dispute but also Australia.

“The use by China of land reclamation for military purposes would be of particular concern,” said the country’s top defence official Dennis Richardson in a military forum in Sydney on Wednesday. His statement indicates a possibility of Australia’s defence position towards China.

China strongly claims most of the South China Sea using the “nine-dash” line, which is a controversial marking on the map. Previous reports said the area is a vital trade route rich in gas, oil and fisheries. The territory is also being disputed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan, reports SMH.

Although China is not the first country to build artificial structures, its construction has become more rapid and comprehensive. Washington reacted with a hardline response, which Australia cannot ignore.

Last week, a tense encounter with a U.S. spy plane and the Chinese navy occurred in Fiery Cross Reef. The U.S. aircraft was repeatedly warned to stay away. CNN had filmed the exchange since it was granted access by the U.S. navy.

U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Harry Harris claimed China was creating a “Great Wall of Sand” as Washington called on the Chinese government to stop building in disputed waters. However, China did not heed the call. The U.S. went on with its surveillance activities.

Australia’s Defence Minister Kevin Andrews will be subjected to mounting pressure regarding the country’s position when he attends an annual security meeting in Singapore on May 31. The region’s top defence and military leaders will be present in the gathering.

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